Title: Native People of the American Northwest Coast
Headings: Native People of the American Northwest Coast
Native People of the American Northwest Coast
HOW THEY GOT HERE
COOL CULTURE
LIFE TODAY
fun facts

Content: The totem poles featured carvings of animals or supernatural creatures associated with family clans. Thunderbirds (a mythical animal that caused thunder when it opened its wings), ravens, and bears stared down from many totem poles. A Quinault (pronounced kwih-NAWLT) boy wears a traditional carved cedar mask. Photograph by Joel W. Rogers, Getty Images
Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. In the spring and summer, many tribes lived in temporary shelters that could be moved around while they hunted, fished, and gathered berries and roots. During winter, people moved into cedar houses that were large enough for many families to share. Often these homes had totem poles outside. Sometimes the totem poles were used as posts to support the house’s roof. LIFE TODAY
Today the native people of the Northwest Coast have lives like many Americans: