The Northwest Indian region runs along the Pacific Ocean coast from southern Alaska to Washington state. Some of the major groups were the Bella Bella, Chiook, Kwakiutl, Inuit, Tillamook, Eyak, Coast Salish, and the Tlingit. These tribes relied a great deal on food from the sea, like salmon, seals, sea otters, whales, and other animals. Together these tribes are called the people of the totem pole after the largest of the famous wood carvings that were made by these tribes. 

One of the most common things found among the Northwest Indians was the totem pole. The poles were not as common to the tribes until the white traders brought them iron tools for carving, after which the totem poles became a dominant symbol of the tribes. A totem pole in front of an Indian's home would show the ancestory and the social rank of that family.

The land of the Northwest Indians is a world of snow-capped mountians, blue oceans, rushing rivers, and green forests.  It is a long, narrow slice of coast about a thousand miles from north to south and not much more than a hundred miles east to west. The mountians and the ocean combine to create a moderate climate that is cool in the summer and not too cold in the winter months.  The rain and the mild temperature encourage growth of the great redwood, cedar, and fir trees.

It is estimated that by the year 1800 there may have been one hundred thousand people living in the totem pole lands of the northwest coast.  More Indian people lived closer together there than anywhere else in North America.

Traditionally, the Kwakiutl relied on fishing for their main source of food. Kwakiutl men also hunted deer and moose, while women gathered shellfish, seaweed, roots, and berries. Kwakiutl groups moved seasonally between various semi-permanent camps to exploit resources, such as migrating fish or game. They constructed highly decorated multifamily houses out of wood and traveled in large dugout canoes. The Kwakiutl were organized into as many as 30 independent groups, each governed by a chief. The population was stratified by rank, which was determined by inheritance of names and privileges. Kwakiutl raiding bands often attacked neighboring tribes and Kwakiutl settlements to acquire territory, goods, or slaves.

The Northwest Indians used the red cedar trees to build their houses.  The Big-Houses, as they were called, were from 20 to 60 feet wide and from 50-150 feet long.  The richest and most important families had the largest houses.

They built the houses with logs and wood pegs, they did not have nails.

Inside and out, the Big-House was often decorated with painting and carving.  Some tribes liked to paint the outside walls white and then make them beautiful with large designs and totem crests.

The Northwest Indians were surrounded by an environment that allowed them to eat several types of food.  They received an endless supply of fish from the ocean and animals and fruit from the forests.  They were hunters and gatherers.

The tribes that lived right on the coast, ate mainly food from the sea.  They ate salmon, seals, sea otters, whales, and other types of shellfish from the water.

In the fall, during the "salmon season," the people could catch enough fish to feed their families for the whole year.  Fishermen made fences of tree saplings to bring the fish toward waiting nets as the salmon swam upstream.  The Indians pulled the big salmon from the water by the thousands.

Once winter was over, then came the first foods and the "First Foods Ceremony".  In the Indian culture no one is to go fishing or berry picking until the first food ceremony was held.  This ceremony thanked the Creator for the bountiful harvest.  Once all of the food was blessed, everyone in the tribe could start hunting and gathering food for the spring months. 

The Northwest people would eat many different types of foods. They would eat mainly food that came from the sea but would occasionally eat food from the forests and tundras, such as rabbits, elk, arctic fox, and the occasional bird.  The northwest people were always competing with the wolf and the brown bear for food and often times hunters would be killed.

The Northwest Indians were very good craftpersons and artists.  When they needed things for everyday life-baskets, blankets, clothing, canoes- they made them by hand.

The greatest skill that these Indians had was working with wood.  Because they were surrounded by great forests, they used wood to make a lot of their crafts.  The Indians of the northwest coast were known for their totem poles.

The totem pole was a kind of sign.  These poles were found in front of a house and told a story about that family.  Totem poles could be up to 80 feet tall.  The figures on the poles could be humans, animals, or other creatures. 

The Northwest Indians were also very skilled at making canoes.  Because they lived on the coast and ate a lot of fish, they needed boats.  The largest canoes measured 60 feet or more in length.  They often carved beautiful pictures and animals into the canoes too.  These Indians also made beautiful bowls, baskets, and blankets.  They were very skilled.