Native Americans of Washington State

1
Native Americans of Washington State
We are wondering

• Did the environment determine the way the Native
  Americans of Washington lived?

2
Washington State, native American tribes that we
investigated to find the answer to our question

1. Makah who lived along the shores of the Pacific
   Ocean and the nearby rivers and forests.
2. Nooksack who lived along the shores of Puget
   Sound and the nearby rivers and forests.
3. Chinook who lived at the mouth of the Columbia
   River and the nearby by forests.
4. Cowlitz who lived in the southern part of the
   Puget Sound lowlands.
5. Spokane who lived on the plateau area between
   the Cascade and Rocky Mountains.

3
Makah Food Nick

• The Makah had plenty of food all around them.
  They ate salmon, seals, walruses, whales, and
  other game animals like deer and rabbits. Since
  they lived along the coast, they could find lots
  of seafood like clams, and crabs. They also ate
  plant parts like nuts, salal and salmon berries.
  The most important food for them was the
  migrating salmon. Every year the Makah caught the
  first salmon and pointed it down stream to show
  the salmon where to go . They thought that this
  ritual would bring the salmon back next year.

4
Makah Shelter Danika

• The Makah Indians lived in wood plank
  houses.Since cedar trees were plentiful the Makah
  tribe built their houses out of cedar.They cut
  trees into poles and planks with stone axes.They
  used wooden pegs to hold their houses together.
  One house might be as big as 80 ft. long, and 50
  feet wide. Each huge house had just one room.
  However, the floor of this room had several
  levels, and along the walls were sleeping stalls.
  In the middle was a fire pit. A hole in the roof
  let the smoke out. All the people in a house all
  belonged to the same clan.This means they shared
  ancestors.

5
Makah Clothing Frances

• Because they lived on the shore of the Pacific
  Ocean, and at the edge of the rainforest the
  Makahs needed rainy day clothing! They didnt
  need to say warm but they did need to stay dry.
  The Makahs made their clothing out of cedar bark.
  They wove cone shaped hats out of cedar bark that
  worked like umbrellas! They made capes and skirts
  out of woven cedar bark as well. It looked like
  they were wearing grass mats for clothes!

6
Makah Transportation Brett

• The Makah used canoes for transportation because
  they hunted whales and they made those canoes by
  cutting down cedar trees, burning out the insides
  of the tree, then they carved it to the desired
  shape that they wanted, and carved the sides that
  it gave it more shape and made
• it stronger,and finally they
• put pegs into slots that hold
• them to the ends of the
• canoes.

7
Nooksack Foods Joshua

• The Nooksack native Americans who lived on Puget
  Sound ate salmon that came from the annual salmon
  runs ,they also gathered seafood from Bellingham
  bay,they also ate seaweed and raised
  potatoes.During spring and fall fish runs,10 to12
  families would share a smokehouse on the
  riverbank next to fish traps. They'd catch clean
  and dry thousands of salmon a day. The Nooksack
  believed the sprit of the fish dwells in its
  backbone and returned to the salt water to lure
  other salmon to their traps. They hunted mountain
  goat for meat and pelts and gathered berries.
  However they ate mostly fish roots And ferns such
  as balbet and fiddle-head.The tribe is believed
  to be named for noot-sa-ck,the bracken fern that
  were a dietary staple. The Nooksack also grew
  sumac (wild carrots ) and were the first indians
  in the region to cultivate white potatoes , witch
  they obtained from Hudson bay trappers.

8
Nooksack Shelter Amanda

• Early Nooksack indians dug pit dwellings 4-12
  feet deep over which they erected a bark teepee.
  Later generations they built plank long houses
  from cedar. During spring and fall 10-12 families
  would share a smoke house on the river bank next
  to the fish traps.

9
Nooksack Clothing Nancy

• The Nooksack native Americans made clothing out
  of cedar trees. They also made hats out of cedar
  bark and dog fur.

10
Nooksack Transportation Andrew

• The Nooksack tribe built strong canoes out of
  cedar trees for the shallow and gentle currents.
  The largest could hold 30 people. They used them
  for long voyages to go to potlatches or warfare.
  The village didnt move from place to place
  because they had enough food. If there wasnt
  enough food they would move some where else.They
  walked when they needed to hunt or gather plants
  for food.

11
Chinook Food Anu

• The Chinooks got there food by fishing and
  hunting. They ate salmon, whales, sea otters,
  shrimp, oysters, shellfish, crab, seaweed, roots,
  salmon berries, huckleberries, nuts, deer, bear,
  squirrels, rabbit, and dog.The Chinooks used some
  plants for medicine. They used wooden utensils to
  cook with, and carried their water by using
  baskets sown together tightly. They got their
  fresh water from lakes and streams.The Chinooks
  knew many ways of fishing.

12
Chinook Shelters Michael

• One of the earlier Chinook houses was made of
  dirt and it was called a pit house. The Chinook
  indians later lived in cedar houses made of cedar
  planks and regular wood to make some of their
  houses. One of the tools they used to make their
  houses was an ax. They had fire places in the
  middle of houses. They also had totem poles to
  show the family animal crest.

13
Chinook Clothing Bilen

• The Chinook Northwest coast indians made their
  clothing out of trees, bark, salmon
  skin,Wapato,camas,and animal skin.They made cone
  shaped hats for the rain.They made the cone
  shaped out of dry cedar bark.Then they wove the
  dry cedar bark together,and smeared bear grease
  on it for protection.They also made baskets out
  of dry cedar bark.

14
Chinook Transportation Trevor

• The Chinook indians used canoes to ride around
  in. They would have to find large cedar trees to
  make their canoes. They had to burn out the
  insides of the trees. The women helped make the
  canoes. They carved birds on the front of the
  canoe. They would take their canoes out of the
  water every day so they float away at high tide.
  The Chinook indians also walked around the
  forests to go hunting.

15
Cowlitz Food Jaycee

• Fishing was very important to the Cowlitz. The
  best time of year for fishing was spring because
  of the salmon run. The oil from the salmon was
  very important. The salmon were set to rot and
  were thrown into a canoe half filled with sand
  and half filled with water and half filled with
  heated rocks then once the water boiled the oil
  would float to the top and the woman would skim
  it off the top and once it cooled it could be
  used for cooking seasonings and medicines. The
  Cowlitz caught their food with spears or other
  traps.

16
Cowlitz Shelter Josh

• The Cowlitz either lived in the Cascade
  mountains, along the Cowlitz River or by the
  Columbia river. They lived in long wooden lodges
  made from cedar that they shared with other
  families and decorated with pictures of totem
  poles on the inside beams. Totem poles were very
  important when building a lodge. The Cowlitz
  women were excellent basket makers. They made the
  baskets with stripped cedar roots.

17
Cowlitz Clothing Kyle

• The Cowlitz Indian tribe used grass for
  clothing. The Cowlitz wore almost any kind of
  animal skin they could find for pants and shirts.
  They used porcupine needles to hold their
  clothing together.The Cowlitz also used quills,
  tree bark,and cotton fibers to make blankets.
  They wore moccasins for shoes.

18
Cowlitz Transportation Stephanie

• The Cowlitz Indians lived near the Cowlitz river
  in SW Washington. They went places in cedar
  canoes covered with matting or branches to
  protect them. They also walked to go places near
  them like next door neighbors tribes. They moved
  around to different places to find food.

19
Spokane/Plateau Foods Ceci

• The Plateau Indians ate salmon, roots, berries,
  deer, elk, and buffalo they got in trade with
  Plains Indians. They had to work much harder that
  the Coastal Indians to get their food. Salmon was
  the most important food. They would catch the
  fall salmon as they migrated up the rivers to lay
  their eggs far upstream. They built wooden
  platforms next to big falls and caught them with
  a net or speared the fish as they jumped. The
  salmon was dried, smoked or eaten fresh. Baking
  was done by heating stones in a pit. They went to
  the mountains to pick berries. They eat salmon
  berries, huckleberries, and salal. They also
  gathered wild plants, like camas lily bulbs and
  kouse roots. First food feasts were held to give
  thanks to the creator for bringing another season
  of salmon and roots.

20
Spokane/Plateau Shelter Stephanie

• In winter the Plateau Indians lived in lodges
  that were built partly underground with a dome of
  poles built over a pit six feet deep. They were
  topped with grass and earth. Their door was built
  in their roof so they had to climb down ladders
  to get into their homes. The lodge was 30 feet
  across.
• In summer the Plateau Indians lived in cone
  shaped lodges made of cattail mats that were
  wrapped around and over a frame of poles.

21
Spokane/Plateau Transportation Cheyanne

• The Plateau indians traveled over land on foot,
  or on the rivers in canoes. They depended on
  trade for goods, and eventually got horses from
  the Plains indians who lived east of the Rocky
  Mts. The Plains indians got them from the Spanish
  who came exploring up from South America.

22
Spokane/Plateau Clothing Kayleigh

• The early Plateau Indians made clothes out of
  bark and other plants. Later they began to use
  tanned antelope,elk, or deer hides. Later their
  clothes were made from the hides of deer cured
  into buckskin. They were worn all year round. Men
  hunted and skinned them and the woman tanned and
  sewed them into clothes. The tribe dressed alike.
  Fur was used from wolf, fox, otter, coyote,
  beaver, mink, bear, goat, groundhog, to decorate.
  They also used bark from willow trees, and sage
  brush. Men usually wore

• leggings, a bread cloth, a shirt, and a robe.
• They plucked their beards and then painted their
  faces.Woman wore long dresses over their
  leggings. The dress usually came down to the
  ankles. The top was folded so it makes a very
  large collar called a yoke. It was decorated
  with beads, fringes, porcupine quills, and each
  tribe had its own style.

23
Yes, the environment did make a difference in the
way the Native Americans lived in Washington.

• Western Washington was misty and rainy, and few
  days were really hot or cold. The trees grew tall
  and the forests were lush with moss. Food was
  plentiful, and easy to get. That left time for
  art, celebrations and imaginative stories.
• The Plateau region between the Cascades and
  Rocky Mts. lay in a rain shadow high above sea
  level. Here there were dry deserts, flat rolling
  plains, dry forests and the mighty Columbia River
  and its tributaries. Conditions were harder, the
  weather was very hot or cold. Food was more
  scarce, and the Native Americans had to travel to
  different places to gather enough to survive
  through the seasons.