z4Northwest+Coast

http://inkido.indiana.edu/w310North West Indians locationork/romac/nwindian.htm [|native][|americans.mrdonn.org/ northwest/whales][|.html][|www.googleimages.com]

North West Coast Indians __ Region __ The North West Indians live in an area stretching from South Alaska to North Carolina. __ Shelter __ Homes in which the Northwest Indians were made with red cedar trees. The Big-House’s is the true name of this structure. These Big-Houses were anywhere from 20-60 feet wide and anywhere from 50-150 feet long! They built homes with wooden pegs, but did not even have nails. Inside and out, their homes were decorated with beautiful paintings and carvings. Many people placed large Totem Poles on the outside of their homes. __ Food __ The Indians in this area lived in a rich environment plentiful with a wide variety of food. There was an endless supply of fish from the nearby ocean. They ate mainly salmon, but also ate seals, sea otters, whales, and any other sea food they could find. The fall would bring them salmon season every year. They could catch so much, they could feed each family for an entire year! There was also much game, such as deer and bear. The Northwest Coast Indians were hunters and gatherers because there was also plenty of fruit in the forests. __ Art __ The Northwest Indians were extremely gifted in art, such as painting, carving, and crafting. They made every day items including baskets, clothing, blankets, and even canoes by hand. They were very skillful with wood because there was so much of it. They were known widely for their great ability to carve and paint Totem Poles. Totem Poles were basically a sign. They were placed outside of each families home to tell a story about the family. They had animals, humans, and other creatures on them, and could be up to 80 feet tall. __ Religion __ The Northwest Coast Indians were very religious. They believed in unseen forces and divine powers from the gods. They held many rituals to practice their religion, much like church today. These rituals were for things like food and weather. They were very thankful to the gods for everything they had. They believed absolutely everything had powers, even rocks and trees, which shows they were very in touch with nature. Their environment was a spiritual place in their eyes.