Title: Native Americans - Northwest Coastal Part 2
Headings: Food
Food
Customs
Tools/Weapons
Art

Content: Common animals were the raven, thunderbird, eagle, wolf, killer whale, and bear. These animals were used as designs for many objects. The designs were sometimes flattened or bent to the shape of the object it was being placed on. Parts of the animals were drawn in squared ovals and solid, curved u-shaped sections. The Northwest Coastal Indians carved and painted wooden masks. These were used in dances during ceremonies. The dances acted out legends of ancestors and family origins. Sometimes the masked dancers appeared through trap doors or swung through the air on rope to look like they were flying. The ceremonies were held in elaborate settings. When the dancers put on masks they took on the personality of the spirit the mask represented.