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The Northwest Indian Culture was where today are the states of Washington, Oregon, and northern California. Many small tribes lived in this culture area such as the Makah, the Chinook, and the Tillamook.
The Northwest Culture depended on the forests for their shelter. Every home was made of wood, and the whole village pointed toward the water. The houses were quite large. They were built for more than one family with frames of large trees. These were then covered with wooden planks that overlapped to keep out the wet weather. There were no windows, but there was a hole in the roof to let air in.
Outside of each home was a totem pole. The totem pole told a story of the history of the family.
The inside of the house had carved posts if the family was an important one. In the center was the fire pit. This part of the house was used for cooking and gathering. It also had rods and curtains for privacy. When a child was old enough to understand, the time had come to learn the history of the family. His mother and grandmother started telling him the history of their family over and over. This was a very long story telling of the good deeds, important events, and honors of the family. This was a very important thing for the children to remember and pass on to their children some day. These tribes used the trees and plants around them to make baskets and wooden boxes. Fishing was very important for them. The most important time of the year was the spring, when the "salmon run" began. As the salmon left the ocean and began their swim up stream to lay eggs, men and women from all over the area gathered along the riverbanks to trap the salmon.
The Indians put a wooden trap with small holes across the stream or river. This would allow the water to flow through, but would trap the salmon. The women had the job of cutting it up and drying it. Every part of the salmon, even the oil, was useful.
The Makah were a tribe of Northwest Indians who lived in what is now the state of Washington. They were great whale hunters. They hunted using their canoes, something that turned out to be very dangerous. Every part of the whale was used. The skin and meat were eaten, the fat was used for oil, and the tendons were used to make ropes. Click on the Cultures to find more.
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