2. The Staple food for both the Coastal and the Plateau Indians was Salmon. Before the dams were built, Salmon traveled all the way up to Canada

3.  5 Pacific Salmon species: sockeye, pink, chinook, chum, and coho.  Extends as far north as the Arctic Ocean and as south as Monterrey  NW Natives considered salmon a sacred people. They showed their respect by greeting the fish with songs, prayers, and special ceremonies.  After catching and eating salmon, they returned the bones to the ocean. The bones came back to life as more Salmon People.  The Salmon People were a powerful tribe that lived somewhere in the ocean. Salmon country was surrounded by an ever opening and closing ring through which they had to jump quickly to preserve their clean silver sides. Those that were caught in the ring were cut or marked, accounting for the stripes on their sides.  When spring came, a great meeting was called, and all started at once for their streams, resulting in the annual migration home from the sea.

4. 1. Even though salmon was the staple food of the Coastal Indians, they also whale hunted besides eating a variety of other ocean fish. 2.Other foods included wild berries, crab apples, nuts and roots. 3. Although eaten, less important was deer, bear and birds.

5. Because the Plateau Indians lived in the dry Columbia Plateau hunting was more important. This forced the Plateau’s to become semi-nomadic. Women could take all day to find roots and berries. The arrival of the horse changed much for the Plateau’s. Hunting and travel became easier. They could now hunt for bison across the Rocky Mountains.

6. Because of the abundance of local food and the ease of Transportation up and down the rivers and Sound, Coastal Indians lived in permanent housing. They usually lived along the rivers banks a little inland from Puget Sound or the Ocean.

7. The longhouses were huge-ranging in length from about 100 to 500 feet and 25 feet wide, with low shed-roofs for easy heating. The only openings in the whole building were the entrance door and a hole in the roof to allow smoke to escape. Some longhouses were so large an entire village lived within a single structure

8. Because there was less vegetation and more extreme weather east of the mountains, some Plateau Indians lived in Pit houses. These houses were dug into the ground giving it excellent insulation.

9. Because the Plateau’s were semi-nomadic, they had to have portable housing. At first these houses were not tepees but with the introduction of the horse some tribes converted to using tepees.

11.  The canoe was the transportation method used by the Coastal Indians.  Shapes of canoes varied according to their use.  Plateau Indians traveled by foot until the introduction of the horse.  The Cayuse and the Nez Perce were the first to use the horse.  Nez Perce interbreed the horse and came up with the Appaloosa.

12.  Trade among the Northwest Indians was common.  The Chinook Indians became expert middle men, mainly because of their location at the mouth of the Columbia River.  Because trade was so common between the Plateau’s and the Coastal Indians a language was created so they could communicate. It was called Chinook Jargon JargonEnglish BostonAmerican Hi-ackHurry CultusCommon Mem’e-loseDead Muck’a-muckFood Gleece-pireCandle

13. As the whites moved into the Northwest, government officials never understood that the tribes were basically separate nations with loose alliances.

14. Beginning of the Potlatch Festival Rank and status were sometimes displayed at banquets called Potlatches. Here gifts were given away along with singing and Eating that lasted for days.

15.  Slaves were common among the Coastal Indians.  Coastal Indians were kept in cradle boards for the first year of their life.  Marriages were pre-arranged.  Divorce did occur.  Some men had more then one wife.  Old age was honored. Coastal Indian wedding clothes.

16. The Coastal Indians had a more organized government with a chief. They also had a class system in place depending on occupation. The Plateau Indians had a very loose government. Some had Councils and some had chiefs but in either case no one person spoke for the tribe. This will create problems later when Issac Stevens met with the Plateau “leaders” at Walla Walla.

17. Both the Plateau and the Coastal Indians had the same basic religious beliefs.

18.  The Natives believed the Changer created the earth in the way they saw it.  They believed spirits roamed the earth to help them.  Each village had a Shaman, who had special curing powers.  Each village also had a story teller to pass down their history and legends.

19. Coastal Indians needed light clothing to shed the rain

20. Cedar bark was used as clothes by the Coastal Indians. Fibers were softened and then woven into cloths. Rain hats were made from cedar roots. Besides providing warmth, robes signified wealth. Some Coastal Indians wore earrings, nose rings, and necklaces depending on status and occupation.

21. Prior the the horse the Plateau Indians wore very little. Breech cloths were about all that was used until winter when the Indians wore fur caps and leggings. After the introduction of the horse the Plateau Indians were Able to have more contact with other tribes from other areas. With trade they were changed their dress.

23. 1.When Isaac Stevens became territorial governor, he was instructed to make treaties with the Natives that would place them on reservations. 2.The treaties were never completely understood by the Native Americans and their leaders never felt that they were speaking for their tribes. 3.Most treaties included the following: a. Natives would give up land in exchange for money. b. Natives would agree to move to a reservation. c. Natives would receive schooling and medicine on the reservations 4.Stevens met with the Coastal Indians at Medicine Creek near the Nisqually Delta and with the Plateau Indians near Walla Walla.

24. 5.The Coastal Tribes were less hostile over the treaties because they lived in more permanent housing. a. One act of violence occurred at White River and later extended to Seattle. b. It was rumored that Chief Leschi led the attack. Although false he was captured and hung. 6.The Plateau Indians were more hostile. a. Being semi-nomadic, the Natives felt their way of life was being destroyed. b. Treaties were soon being broken as gold was discovered. c. Two wars highlighted this conflict.

25. 1.There was an effort to unify the Plateau tribes. 2.In 1858 the Spokane, Palouse, and Coeur d’Alene tribes defeated Colonel Steptoe 50 miles south of present day Spokane. a. Steptoe’s forces were outnumbered and he retreated to a Butte. (Later named for him) b. At night his troops snuck out and returned to Walla Walla. 3.Col. George Wright returned with more men and better rifles. a. He won two battles on the Plains of Spokane. b. He killed 900 Native horsed on the Spokane River. c. He hung leaders at Hangmen’s Creek. 4. This ended the Yakima Wars

26. 1.In 1878 warriors of the Chief Joseph band of Nez Perce killed three whites. 2.Realizing his tribe was doomed he made an attempt to get his people to Canada. 3.His tribe of 500 contained mainly women, children, and the old. 4.In four battles and outnumbered 8-1 Chief Joseph defeated the American army. 5.20 miles from the border Chief Joseph stopped to rest and was surrounded and captured.

27. I Will Fight No More Forever Surrender Speech by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Toohulhulsote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led the young men is dead. It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are--perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.Looking GlassToohulhulsoteHe who led the young

28. After months of fighting and forced marches, many of the Nez Perce were sent to a reservation in what is now Oklahoma, where many died from malaria and starvation. Chief Joseph tried every possible appeal to the federal authorities to return the Nez Perce to the land of their ancestors. In 1885, he was sent along with many of his band to a reservation in Washington where, according to the reservation doctor, he later died of a broken heart.