Title: Northwest Coast Indigenous Peoples in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia
Headings: Northwest Coast Indigenous Peoples in Canada
Northwest Coast Indigenous Peoples in Canada
Indigenous Peoples of the Northwest Coast
Geography
Traditional Life
Early Settlement
Food and Economy
Dwellings and Transportation
Clothing
Society
Culture
Language
Religion and Spirituality
European Contact
Douglas Treaties
Land Claims and Self-government
Contemporary Life
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Indigenous Perspectives Education Guide
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Further Reading

Content: Northwest Coast Paddles
Left to right: Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl), Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) and Haida. (artwork by Gordon Miller)
Left to right: Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl), Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) and Haida. Prev Next
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Northwest Coast Indigenous peoples generally lived in large post-and-beam structures in the winter. Generally known as plank houses, these structures were covered by split cedar planks decorated in distinct regional styles. Cedar was of primary importance, as its long, straight grains were ideal for both artistic and functional woodworking. ( See also Architectural History: Indigenous Peoples .) Carpentry was men’s work, and with blades of stone and shell, wooden wedges and stone hammers, they fashioned not only plank houses but other items of everyday use.