Coast Culture Essay

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The People of the Northwest Coast:
Geography:
The people of the Northwest Coast lived in a narrow section of coastal land stretching from Washington State to Northern British Columbia, and into Alaska.
Temperatures in these areas were moderate, which gained the Northwest Coast peoples a lot of advantages.
The environment of the Northwest Coast of Canada was very diverse, and often extreme. It included: Rugged coastline (Pacific Ocean), wide and narrow beaches, deep fjords, mountains (near coast), forests, inland rivers and lakes, and many islands.
All the people lived near the water, wither the Pacific Ocean or an inland river or lake, and relied heavily on water for survival.
Living near the water gave the peoples of the Northwest Coast food, water, and transportation.
Religion and Special Ceremonies:
In Northwest Coast culture, their customs, beliefs, and history were passed down orally through stories, songs, and dances.
They had stories about why certain things occurred, for example, the changes in season. There were also stories about each group and how they first appeared in this world. All these stories were passed down to subsequent generations.
The people of the Northwest Coast believed that they were surrounded by supernatural beings interfering with the natural world at all times.
In their culture, spirits were connected to all living things.
The only link between the spirit world and the natural world was the ‘Shamans’ or ‘Medicine Men’.
It was a Shaman’s job to cure the sick, to ensure that there was adequate food, and to influence the weather. The belief was that they had the power to do all those things through and ability to communicate with the spirit world.
Both men and women could have been Shamans, however, ...

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...leather, wool, soft cedar bark strips or cattails, with colored grasses to add color. The materials were collected during the summer months and then dried.
One of the most common things they wove were chilkat blankets.
The people of the Northwest Coast wore very little clothing, except when it was cold. In the warmer months, men would often go naked, and women would only wear bark skirts.
Since it rained a lot of the Northwest Coast, clothing was more important for blocking the rain than for keeping them warm. They wore capes and spruce hats as protection against the rain.
For maintaining their social status, so the people typically wore clothes that followed the class system, that is, if a person was rich, they showed it by wearing fancier clothes and jewelry. Chiefs, the highest ranking individuals, wore a chilkat blanket, dance apron, leggings, and moccasins.

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