Northwest Coast Native Americans

We will learn where the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest lived, how they lived, and their culture

​Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest.

Hey there, 5th graders! Get ready to embark on an exciting adventure into the world of the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. These incredible indigenous people have called this stunning region home for countless generations. Imagine dense, emerald-green forests, majestic totem poles that tell stories, and remarkable cedar canoes that glide through pristine waters. From their unique art to their deep connection with nature, the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest have a rich history waiting to be explored.

Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest

​Location

​Pacific Northwest tribes lived in northern California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, and Southeastern Alaska.

Hotspot

Which area in the map is the Pacific Northwest?

​The people in this region ate seafood, such as salmon, whale, and sea otter. They also had a variety of wild plant food.

​Food

​Salmon was the most important and the seasonal arrival of the salmon was a reason to celebrate.

Multiple Select

Native Americans from the Pacific Northwest ate.. ( check all that apply).

• Sea Otter

• Whale

• Salmon

• Cow

​Hunting

​They hunted black-tail deer, elk, mountain goat, moose, and other. To hunt they sharpened rocks into arrowheads. They fastened the arrowheads to branches to make spears.

Multiple Choice

To hunt, the people made tools out of ______ by sharpening them into arrowheads.

• steel

• wood chips

• stone/rocks

• sponge

​Shelter

​With so much food in this region, people lived in permanent homes called longhouses. Some were 200 feet long and could house as many as 60 people. Longhouses were often 2 stories tall. The second story was used as a sleeping area. With so many trees in this area, their longhouses were made out of wood planks.

​Art

​Thanks to the abundance of high-quality wood, which was very long-lasting due to natural insecticide (repelling insects) qualities, Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest became known for their wood carving abilities, including the creation of totem poles.

Totem poles are monuments created by the Pacific Northwest to represent and celebrate ancestry, histories, people, or events.


A totem pole usually has special and artistic carvings of people, animals, and magical creatures on it.

Multiple Choice

What were totem poles primarily used for by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest?

• As watchtowers to spot approaching danger

• As homes for tribal leaders

• A way of celebrating ancestors, history, people or events.

​Tribes

​Many tribes called this region their home. Among the tribes were Makah, Umpkua, Nootka, Chinook, and Cowlitz.

​Nootka

​Chinook

​Umpkua

​Cowlitz

Coastal tribes wore very little clothing, except in the coldest weather. They made extensive use of cedar bark and very little use of animal skins.The women wore skirts of shredded cedar bark.

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​How was clothing made?