Kwakiutl
pronounced "kwah-kee-oo-tl”
FROM THE PICTURE, MAKE SOME GUESSES ABOUT THEIR CULTURE!
Humans migrated to this continent
10,000 years ago
Ice used to
cover half of
America
INUITS
KWAKIUTL
What is the name of the region
where the Kwakiutl lived?
INUITS
KWAKIUTL
Look at the picture and the map to
guess the type of climate
KWAKIUTL
CLIMATE
• The climate was rainy and mild.
• The land was covered with forests and lakes so wildlife
and food were abundant.
• If the Kwakiutl lived in a forest with rivers, streams, and
the ocean nearby, what food might they eat?
The environment affected what the
Kwakiutl ate
• Their main source of meat was caribou or fishing.
• They also hunted moose, deer, rabbits, and beaver.
• They traded the fur.
• The women of the Kwakiutl tribe gathered berries,
roots, and nuts. To get salt for their food, the women
gathered seaweed.
CANOES were used for fishing
• Fish were abundant, especially salmon. Other foods included seal,
clams, whale,and sea otter. Food was always available for these
hunters and fishermen.
• They fished in canoes carved from cedar and redwood trees from the
dense forests. They dug out a tree trunk to make the canoe.
• Occasionally they could even catch a whale with wooden harpoons.
Kwakiutl did not farm, so they were
nomadic in the spring, summer, and
fall.
Canoes were made from cedar wood and used to relocate when following
migrating animals(nomadic). The canoes were sometimes as long as 60
feet. They had to follow migrating fish and games in order to survive. They
also used stone tools and fire in their everyday work.
Plank or clan house
•From the cedar and redwood trees, the Kwakiutl built
houses called plank houses, or clan houses. Each
building of planks could house 30-40 members of the
same clan and was 100 feet long.
• Each family had an area of the one room dwelling
and each cooked its own food on its own cook fire.
Platforms were built in front of the
houses to protect the village from the
environment. Why?
Totem poles
• Totem poles began as the beams that supported the long plank house
• They also were in front the family house display the family crests of the
chief that lived in the house. They showed a family’s power and pride.
Why did the Inuits never have
totem poles? Think about the
natural resources.
The environment affected the Kwakiutl
clothes
• The Kwakiutl made clothing from the bark of trees and animal skins.
• They also made rain capes and coats from animal skins.
• Why did they not use cotton or wool?
Potlatch
• This was a feast held by a wealthy member of the tribe
where members of a family or clan would be invited to
a huge party and be given possessions of the host such
as a canoe or blanket. Giving away ones possessions
showed wealth and power and built goodwill within
and between tribes and clans.
Natural resources
•
•
•
•
•
Trees
Fish-used to trade with other tribes
Animals-used animal furs to trade with others
Water
Berries
Trading
• Animal furs
• Fish
• Kwakiutl liked to trade for the weavings of the
Tlingit.
• They also traded with other tribes for canoes.