Washington State Native Americans

1. Washington State Native Americans Chapter 4: Washington: A State of Contrasts

2. Coastal Indians • Lived west of the cascades • Many located in areas near the water: • The Pacific coastline • Puget Sound • Strait of Juan de Fuca • The San Juan Islands • Shores of lakes and rivers • Villages were isolated • Usually the only contact with others was for trade and war

3. Coastal: Tribal Organization • Some coastal tribes include: • Makah, Quinault, Hoh, Chinook, Clallam, Chehalis, Puyallup, Lummi, Suquamish, Nisqually, Nooksack, Salish, Muckleshoot. • Tribes were usually less than 100 people • Tribes were made up of several families in a small area. • Leader: Chief • Spiritual leader/Medicine man: Shaman • Each Shaman was responsible for the secrecy of tribal customs and use of herbs to heal the ill. • The Shaman performed healing ceremonies. • He was sometimes held responsible for the deaths of tribal members, so other members of the tribe might take revenge on him.

4. Coastal: Tribal Organization • Class system: based on birth and/or wealth • The wealthiest member of the tribe usually became the chief • The nobility of the tribe was either very wealthy or family members of the chief. • Most tribe members were commoners. • Lowest class: slaves • Usually women and children captured during war • slaves were a status symbol • More slaves=more wealth

5. Coastal: Tribal Organization • Men were hunters, fishers, and warriors. • Women raise the children and gathered berries, nuts, and roots. • Women also cooked meals and made utensils, ornaments, and clothing.

6. Coastal: Communication • None of the coastal tribes had a written language • Each tribe had its own spoken language, making it very hard to communicate with others. • History, legends, and ideas were passes from generation to generation. • They also used sign language, smoke signals, pictorial drawings, totem poles, designs, chants, dances, and songs to pass history on to others.

7. Coastal: Clothing • They used available materials to make clothes • Summer: wore little clothing • Men wore breechcloths and went barefoot • Females wore skirts and dresses made from dog hair, grass, cattails, animal skins, and cedar bark. • Winter: needed more clothing to protect from rain and cold weather • They wore capes, ponchos, robes, blankets, and other clothes made mostly from cedar bark. • They wore cone shaped hats in the rain. • Colorful ceremonial clothes, blankets, and masks were also created to celebrate potlatches, burials, and marriages.

8. Coastal: Diet • Hunting • Gathering • Fishing- Salmon was their most important food. • Whaling • Dried and smoked foods for later use. • Used open fires and hot rocks to cook food

9. Coastal: Shelter • Longhouses: • A permanent structure made from cedar logs or planks • 40 to 100 ft long • 20 to 40 ft wide • A shed like roof, windows, a few doors, a narrow opening in the roof to let out smoke • Several related families would often live in the same house.

10. Coastal: Transportation • Before Europeans arrived in 1542, Indians either walked or canoed. • Even after the Europeans brought horses, the Native Americans rarely used them.

11. Coastal: Barter • Costal Indians would negotiate and barter for goods and services. • They hunted, fished, and gathered what they needed.

12. Coastal: Tools • They used horns, shells, rocks, hair, wood and grasses.

13. Coastal: Recreation • Competitive contests • Canoe races, foot races, tug of war, wrestling, spear toss, horsemanship, gambling

14. Coastal: Ceremonies • Each tribe had different ceremonies for puberty, marriage, and burial. • At puberty, a youth was sent into the wilderness to meet with the spirits. • The Spirit Dance • At about 15, boys would fast for a month to transition to adulthood. • The ability to deal with these tasks would often help determine the social standing of the man.

15. Coastal: Marriage • Women would seek to marry someone with grater wealth or social standing than her family. • Marriage ceremonies varied: • Some couples just asked for permission to live together. • Other tribes had elaborate ceremonies (potlatch)

16. Coastal: The Potlatch • A unique ceremony practiced by coastal Indians • Means "to give" • The host gives gifts to his guests • Guests accept gifts with the understanding that someday the favor would be returned • The object was to show generosity and show off the wealth of the host • The potlatch also involved singing, dancing, feasting, and boasting • Often lasted for several days • The status of the host could be changed based on the success of his potlatch. • Potlatches were outlawed by the US government in 1884. • The ban was lifted in 1954.

17. Plateau Indians • Lived east of the cascades • Due to the harsh climate there was very little food, the Plateau Indians were nomadic • Tribes competed for survival • Some of the important tribes were the Yakama, Nez Perce, Spokane, Palouse, Walla Walla, Cayuse, Colville, Wenatchi, and Klickitat.

18. Plateau: Tribal Organization • There were fewer tribes than the coastal Indians • Each tribe had from several hundred to a few thousand members. • The plateau tribal organization included chiefs, a tribal council, and a council of elders. • People who were most respected and honored became tribal leaders. • Respect was earned through: • Displays of courage and bravery • Showing wisdom and good decision making skills.

19. Plateau: Tribal Organization • The chief was to keep peace among the tribal members and provide security from attack. • Acted as judge • Received guests • Sought adequate food and water • Military leader in times of war • Some tribes had several leaders, each with separate responsibilities

20. Plateau: Tribal Organization • The plateau Indians had a social group system • They sought the necessities of life together • Food, shelter, water, security • They did not value material goods or slaves • Did value horses • Life was a community effort; every member had responsibilities.

21. Plateau: Tribal Organization • The male was dominant in the family. • He hunted, fished, conducted business, and served as warrior. The male was dominant in the family. • The women took care of the household by caring for children, gathering and preparing food, and making clothing.

22. Plateau: Communication • Each tribe had its own spoken language and no written language • As many as 100 languages or dialects in Washington • How did they communicate? • Sign language • Chinook Jargon • A mix of English, French, Chinook words • Used to communicate with white settlers and traders

23. Plateau: Clothing • The plateau people wore clothing made from animal skins, fur pelts, dog hair, and grass. • Their clothing was simple • Summers: light clothing • Men wore breechcloths, moccasins, and leather leggings to protect their legs from thorny plants. • Females wore decorative dresses and moccasins.

24. Plateau: Clothing • Winter: heavy clothing made from made from animal skins and fur pelts. • For ceremonies, celebrations, and times of war, they wore brightly colored feather headdresses, clothing, and blankets. • They also wore jewelry made from bones, claws, feathers, scalps, colorful stones, shells, and beads • Wore hair ornaments as well

25. Plateau: Diet • Food and water were scarce • Tribes had to compete over fishing spots and hunting areas • Hunted deer, bear, elk, buffalo, birds, rabbits, Mountain goat, sheep, beaver, and other meat sources • Buffalo hunting parties often had to cross the Rockies, which was very dangerous. • When wild animals were scarce, they ate dogs, horses, and insects • They also gathered items such as berries, nuts, seeds, roots, etc…

26. Plateau: Diet • They made a food called Pemmican from animal fat, berries, camas root, and fish. • They baked the mixture, boiled it, or ate it raw • Salmon was an important food source • Important fishing sites included Willamette falls, Kettle Falls, and Celilo Falls • Salmon were easy to catch in these areas because they were struggling to move upstream

27. Plateau: Shelter • Tepees • Woven mats or animal skins were placed over poles to create a cone shaped shelter • Heated with fires • Movable shelter for nomadic lifestyle • In the winter, they lived in caves or pit houses to escape the snow and wind. • Pit houses were dug in to the ground (often in hillsides) • They were then covered by a frame of mats or skins

28. Plateau: Transportation • Before the arrival of the horse, plateau Indians walked or ran • The arrival of the horse, allowed them to accomplish tasks such as hunting, much more quickly. • Hoses became a prized possession • Nez Perce created the appaloosa bread • They would try to increase the number of horses by breaking wild ones, stealing, breading, and trading • Horses became a measure of wealth • Travois- similar to a trailer made from sticks and mats • Used to tote possessions or ill people or small children

29. Plateau: Barter • Main source of payment for goods • Horses were the main bartering item • Traded for furs and guns • Also bartered using their famous for leather work and beading • Barter allowed plateau Indians to gain more necessities to help them survive their harsh environment.