Northwest Tribes of the United States

Northwest Tribes

The Northwest Tribes were located along the Northwest Coast. They lived along the Pacific Ocean in what is now the top corner of the United States of America and into southern Canada.

Multiple Choice

The Northwest Tribes were located in the area of the states we call...

• Ohio and Michigan

• Tennessee and Kentucky

• North and South Dakota

• Washington and Oregon

The Northwest Tribes included the...

Haida

Makah

Chinook

Land

The land of the northwest is dense with forests and mountains. The climate is mild.

Multiple Choice

A dense forest would provide many materials to make needed supplies.

• True

• False

Food

Instead of farming, the Northwest tribes fished for salmon in the rivers. They created tools to help them fish. They used a dip net to trap the salmon and a weir to trap them. (A weir is a wooden trap across the river. ) They also used spears to catch the fish. The fish were smoked over a fire or dried in the sun. This allowed for a supply of food over the winter.

Fishing Weir

Fishing Net

Multiple Choice

How did the Northwest Tribes catch salmon?

• spear and weir

• weir and dip net

• rod and reel

• dip net, spear, weir

Whales

To hunt whales, the Northwest Tribes used long, wooden harpoons with shells and bones carved into arrowheads. They had a great celebration after catching the whales. They used every part---meat, blubber, and even the intestines! (oooh... YUCK!)

Multiple Choice

Whales were important to the Northwest Tribes because....

• the whales provided food and other materials.

• it was so hard to catch a whale.

• it showed great bravery.

Lodging

The Northwest Indians built longhouses out of cedar. The dense forests provided the wood needed for building. These homes could house many families at one time. Mats made of bark were hung from the ceiling to give families privacy.

Multiple Choice

Northwest Indians lived in houses called...

• teepees

• wigwams

• longhouses

• wood houses

Totem Poles

Tribes of the Northwest built totem poles. These poles were carved with totems, or symbols, representing their family. These were put up outside of homes to share the family history.

Multiple Choice

Why did these tribes build totem poles?

• for artwork

• to share the history of a family

• for decorations

Potlatch

Rich families held large dinners called potlatches. These dinners lasted for several days. Hosts of these dinners gave gifts to their guests who often traveled for days to attend.

Multiple Choice

What is a potlatch?

• a lock on a door

• a large dinner

• a celebration to honor the gods

• a meal before war

Multiple Choice

The Northwest Tribes _____ to their environment and used the supplies that they found in nature.

• fought

• adapted

• changed

• destroyed