Introduction
Hi! Today we are presenting our report about the Kwakiutl Indians
Region
The Kwakiutl Indians originally lived on the northwest coast of North American in British Columbia. They also lived along the shores of the water ways of Vancouver Island and the mainland.
Climate
Thought the place they lived in was very mild and had very heavy rainfall.
Land
the Northwest coast had not only heavy rainfall and mild weather, but it had high cliffs, slopping beaches and not to mention lots and lots of cedar trees.
Producer
There were lots of animals like deer and bird where they lived. There were also lots of plants like herbs, roots, and especially cedar trees.
They traded some cedar trees for different things from different tribes. Say, they might have traded or bargained some cedar trees for some tlingit weavings or for some Haida canoes.
Food
They lived by the coast so they fished salmon. Salmon was a very important part of their diet. They ate whales that were washed ashore. Whales were very important to them because they not only provided meat, their skins provided oil and clothes. They also ate plants, like herbs, vegetables, and roots. For meat, they killed animals, like deer, birds, and squirrels. They ate meat and plants, this makes them omnivores.
House
If they lived in permanant homes, they’d live in plank houses. If they lived in temporary houses, they lived in teepees made of animal skin.
Cloth
For clothes, they made clothes out of cedar bark and animal skins. During the summer, they wore clothes made out of cedar bark. In the winter when it was colder, they wore clothes made out of animal skins.
Travel
They traveled in dug out canoes carved out of cedar bark. They used these boats to go fishing and to visit other tribes to see what they could trade or barter for. They also traveled by foot.
Culture
They believed in spirits also called manitous and used totem poles to tell stories to tell about spirits. If they went on a hunt and got a good kill, they have a big feast, known as a potlatch. During a potlatch, they would give each other property and gifts unique to people.
Other
Totem poles were not only used to tell stories, but they were also used to welcome people.
Today we called them the Kwakiutl Indians, but they were originally called the Kwakwala Indians.