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What is the Northwest Culture Like? This culture was
located in what is now Washington, Oregon,
Many of their
homes were made of wooden planks. The wood came from the surrounding
forests. Usually more than one family lived together; often
Outside each home and village was a totem pole. These were carved with animals and creatures that told a story about the family or village. The totems identified the family's clan. These totems were painted and decorated with animals, birds and spirit characters that were carved on them. Food
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Beliefs Page constructed by B. Jones - Technology Instructor Specialist with the Bellevue, Nebraska Public Schools (BA and MS in Elementary Education and Curriculum and Instruction) Updated: 10/25/2005 01:39:56 PM |
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and
Parts of Northern California. It also reached up into southern
Canada. There were many different tribes located in this area.
Three of those were the Makah, Chinook, and Tillamook. This area was
mostly covered in forests, but some parts were affected by the rain shadow
of the the Coastal and Cascade ranges of mountains and tended to be quite dry.
these
families were related to each other. Their homes were large with no
windows. They did have a hole in the center for letting out the
smoke from fires.
Fish was the most important kind of meat for the Northwest Cultures
tribes. They ate salmon. These salmon were born in the rivers
of the Northwest and then traveled to the ocean for much of their
lives. When the salmon returned, they had to fight against the river's water flow
(current) to reach the area
where they were born. The oil from the salmon and even whales was
used for cooking and also for medicine. 
found
in their area. Small bones were used to puncture leather so that
leather skins could be sewn together with part of the
intestines from animals used for thread. Rocks were used as hammers.
Flint or obsidian rock were chipped to be used arrowheads, spears, knives, and
other weapons. Bowls could be made out of carves wood, baskets, or
gourds. 
cedar
trees and also animal skins. These were often decorated
with bones and painted using dyes made from plants. These tribes
wore capes and hats outside on rainy or snowy days. 
of their
ancestors, the ancestors could help them in life.
The carvings of spirits on their totem poles, boats, masks, blankets,
and bones were their way of expressing their beliefs.