Title: Northwest Coast Indians  - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Headings: Northwest Coast Indians
Northwest Coast Indians
Introduction
Traditional Culture
Peoples and Languages
Food
Settlements and Housing
Clothing
Technology and Arts
Society
Religion
European Contact and Cultural Change

Content: Northwest Coast Indians  - Students | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
Northwest Coast Indians
Introduction
National Geographic Image Collection/ Alamy
The American Indians of the Northwest Coast traditionally lived on a narrow belt of Pacific coastland and offshore islands. The Northwest Coast culture area stretches from what is now the southern border of Alaska to northwestern California. The Pacific Ocean is the western boundary. To the east are the mountains of the Coast Range and the Cascades. In many places the coastal hills or mountains fall steeply to a beach or riverbank. Abundant rains support dense, towering forests that are rich in animal life. This environment provided a wealth of resources for the Indians. Traditional Culture
Peoples and Languages
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
The   Northwest Coast was densely populated when Europeans first made landfall in the 1700s. It was home to peoples speaking Athabaskan, Tshimshianic, Salishan, and other languages. Well-known tribes included the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Kwakiutl, Bella Coola, Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka), Coast Salish, and Chinook.