The Nootka By: Jamie Hiller and Trent Jolly. The Nootka (The Nuu-chah-nulth) were located just off of the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia.

The Nootka

By: Jamie Hiller and Trent Jolly

The Nootka (The Nuu-chah-nulth) were located just off of the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia . The Nootka were people of the sea and mountains and had a big involvement with the water and fish.

British ColumbiaVancouver Island

The Nootka Harpoon The harpoons that the Nootka used varied in size and shape. Some were tied onto a long wooden spear and others to a string or rope. Nootka fisherman would lean over the boat in the shallows and spike the harpoon down onto the fish. The Nootka found this method the easiest way to hunt for fish and were very productive using this weapon.

The Nootka wore many different types of clothing, but they mostly wore cedar bark torsos and covers. Usually in the spring, they would wear cedar robes. In the fall and winter, the rich Nootka would wear bear fur or big game animal furs and otter skin while poor and average people wore robes made of small animals. In the summer Nootka men would wear hardly any clothing and women wore cedar dresses and skirts.

The Nootka LonghouseThe Nootka lived in longhouses made of wood planks and logs covered with a bark shell. Each longhouse consisted of at least one fire pit and many shelves for storage and beds. Up to 35 people lived in these houses.

LifestyleThe Nootka were phenomenal fishermen. They fished in canoes made of hollowed out trees and bark. The Nootka used a wide variety of traps, nets and tools to hunt for the fish. They would go along the rivers and rocky edges to gather fish and drop them off at fishing huts.

The Nootka hunted on land as well for bears, wildcats, raccoons, deer and mountain wolves.

The Nootka had a close relationship to the other tribes and clans located on what is now called Vancouver Island. When one tribe needed something such as food, they would trade objects in return. Trading posts were located along the beaches so that people could boat up to shore and trade instead of travelling deep into the forest and mountain range.

The Friendly Nootka

The Nootka Sound Crisis was a war between the British Empire and the Spaniards. The Nootka had not known what was going on between the British and Spanish so a chief named Callicum went to meet the Spanish general, Martinez, who then shot Callicum on his ship. Spain then in return continued to give goods to the Nootka and allied with them to gain territory.

The Nootka The Iroquois

SPIRITUAL BELIEFS

-Believed in supernatural forces and spirits-After performing Vision Quest, you were allied with a spirit from nature-This spirit bestowed powers upon you-Shamans had supernatural powers

-Believed that spirits were the one who change the seasons of the year-The Great Peace Keeper was their “God”-Were eventually taught the ways of Christianity-Believed in the Great Spirit- created human beings- No Shamans, but men and women ran ceremonies and were called “keepers of faith”

Nootka Story

Historical Events-Europeans first encounter with Nootka in 1774

-1778 Captain James Cook landed his ship and named the natives “Nootka”

-1789 Nootka Crisis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nootka_Sound

Works Cited

http://www.cmhg.gc.ca/cmh/image-277-eng.asp?page_id=331

http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Nootka-History-and-Cultural-Relations.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuu-chah-nulth_people

http://www.cetacousin.bplaced.net/fact/orca/legends.pdf