Pacific Northwest – Native Americans

Pacific Northwest

• In the Northwest there was little agriculture.
• Instead there were many fish, deer and other animals.
• The true staple is seafood.

Pacific Northwest

• These Indians were hunters/gatherers and they used trees in the forests to make boats, houses and tools.
• Indians used the rivers in the Northwest to trade goods.

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Dugout

Kwakiutl Tribe

• Kwakiutls lived near the Pacific Ocean.
• They fished – and ate mostly from the Pacific Ocean
• They hunted and captured whales
• Whales supplied food but also fat, which could be melted into oil to burn in lamps

Kwakiutl Tribe

• The Kwakiutls also lived in wooden homes on the shore.
• The Kwakiutls were some of the best woodcarvers. They made totem poles.
• Totem poles are wood carvings that show a family’s history.

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The Chinook Tribe

• The Chinooks were a tribe that are known for their trading.
• They developed a language for trading so that all Indian tribes could understand the business.
• The Chinooks traded fish, shells, furs, oil, boats, masks and jewelry.

The Chinook Tribe

• Their villages were homes made of rows of long wooden houses with no windows. This is called a pit house.

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Makahs Tribe

• Makahs were coastal people (they lived by the ocean) and hunted whales at sea.
• They made spears and went to sea in their wooden boats to hunt whales for food and oil.
• The Makahs lived in wooden houses along the shore.

Southwest Native Americans

Pueblo

• Pueblo tribes inhabited the Southwest in present-day New Mexico and Arizona
• They lived in desert areas with little rain and in areas bordering cliffs and mountains
• The Pueblo are natives of the Southwest deserts, particularly New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.�

Homes & Villages

• Homes made from adobe (sun-dried mud bricks) reinforced with straw
• Multi-story complexes could house hundreds of people
• Often built into cliffs for protection, like Mesa Verde and Bandelier
• Ladders used to access upper levels; lower entrances helped with defense
• Buildings kept cool in summer and insulated in winter

Food & Farming

• Expert farmers despite desert conditions — developed advanced irrigation systems
• Grew corn, beans, squash (“Three Sisters”) for balanced nutrition
• Corn was central to their diet and religious ceremonies
• Also grew cotton, raised turkeys, and gathered wild plants, nuts, and berries
• Hunted small game like rabbits and deer

Pueblo Clothing

• Pueblo men grew cotton and used it for weaving clothes and other fabric
• Men often wore breechcloths; women wore dresses or mantas (rectangular cloths)
• Jewelry made from turquoise, shell, and silver after Spanish contact
• Animal skins (rabbit) were also used for clothing and for shoes

Pueblo Transportation

• Primarily traveled on foot
• Used dogs pulling travois (wooden drag sleds) for carrying goods
• No horses until after Spanish arrival in the 1500s

Pueblo Art, Music and Storytelling

• Pottery: Known for black-on-white, red, and polychrome designs; often decorated with symbols representing rain, animals, and the earth.
• Kachina Dolls: Hand-carved figures representing spiritual beings, used to teach children about traditions and beliefs.
• Storytelling: Oral tradition preserved history, legends, and moral lessons; stories passed down through generations during winter gatherings and ceremonies.
• Music & Dance: Songs, drums, and dances often tied to planting, harvest, and seasonal ceremonies.

Pueblo Roles of Man and Woman

• Men: farmed, hunted, built homes, wove cotton
• Women: prepared food, ground corn, taught children, made baskets and pottery
• Both contributed to maintaining traditions and ceremonies