The Northwest Coast Indians
by Anisha and Kevin
The Northwest Coast Indians are people who live along the shores of Canada and the United States on the Pacific Ocean. They live between mountains on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. There are 14 tribes that live along the coast.
Their names are:
Tlingit, Tahltan, Nisga'a, Gitksan, Tsimshian, Haida, Haisla, Heiltsuk,
Nuxalk, Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Xwe Nal Mewx, Makah, Quileute
The warm air above a Japanese water current is stopped by the high mountains, and causes the moisture in the air to turn to rain. Rain helps all kinds of plants to grow on the Northwest Coast, especially a tall tree with a thick gnarled bark called cedar.
The Northwest Coast Indians could make almost everything they needed from this tree, including their homes, baskets, mats, ropes, dishes, totem poles and even their clothing. They also created beautiful cedar masks of animals and spirits and used them to act out their legends and myths at the Potlatches they held. The Northwest Coast Indians carved cedar wood into bowls and strong boxes and made utensils for cooking and eating. The bark was pounded into soft fibers that were woven into warm blankets and clothing.
The summers were cool and rainy, and the winters were mild. They spent the summer months collecting and preserving food. Then, during the winter, there was time for feasts and celebrations.
The Indians of the Northwest Coast have survived by hunting and fishing for food. Salmon was their favorite food. The people took large canoes out to the ocean to fish for halibut and hunt for sea mammals. Their ancestors ate shellfish that they found in the bay near their homes and hunted for game animals in the forest.
