Download - The Nootka Indians
The Nootka Indians
By Chris Myers & Tiffany Oickle
Historical Background
Also known as the Nuu-chah-nulth
Lived along the coast of Vancouver Island, Canada and the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state
Was first applied as a tribal name explorer Captain James Cook.
Culture
Each Nootka was ranked in society
were famous for their potlatch ceremonies, in which the host would honor guests with gifts.
were one of the few groups on the Pacific Coast who hunted whales
Religious Practices
No worship of a god Had three main
rituals 1.)ensuring good luck in all the numerous extensions that nature has to be coped with by man2.) rights and privileges3.) curing of the ill
Clothing
When cool out,they wore ceder bark robes
only difference between genre was the women also had an additional bark apron
When cold richer people wore sea otter and bear furs, people of low wealth wore robes made from raccoons, wildcats and other small animals
Clothing cont.
When warm, men would only wear ornaments while the women would wear skirts made from cedar bark
They wore cone-shaped hats
Housing
40 to 100 feet in length and 30 to 40 feet in width
constructed with removable plank roofing and siding
in fall and spring the homes would often be moved from village to village in the seasonal shifting of residences
in sinter and summer they were occupied and was used for the most important fishing stations
Family Life
just after children reached puberty their parents would arranged their marriages
it was also about the alliance between the two families, not just about the two getting married
the boy and his family would make visits to the girls house and try to win her and her family over
Family Life Cont.
children were never spanked or slapped, just talked to when bad
childbirth was a very special thing to them
they had a special hut that was just for childbirth were every baby was born
Language
They spoke Nuu-Chah-Nulth
It means "along the mountains"
is a Wakashan language of the Northwest Coast
References
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/northamerica/nootka.html
http://www.vancouverisland.com/Regions/towns/?townID=68
http://www.native-languages.org/nootka.htm http://www.rlc.dcccd.edu/mathsci/anth/homepage/
parsons/dream.htm
References cont.
http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://canadianheritage.org/images/large/10048.jpg&imgrefurl=http://canadianheritage.org/reproductions/10048.htm&h=574&w=459&sz=48&hl=en&start=4&tbnid=tZmRSUo_za-gQM:&tbnh=134&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnootka%2Bindians%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive