For American Indian people living along the Pacific Coast and the Puget Sound area of what is now the state of Washington, fishing was an important source of food. The Washington State History Museum in Tacoma has a display of some of the American Indian tools used in fishing.
According to the display:
“Fish were much more that a staple food for Indian people in Washington. The act of fishing, the waters where the fish were caught, the manner in which the first fish was captured and offered to the community were ruled by strict religious and secular traditions.”
Shown above is a wrapped-twined Makah basket showing a whaling scene.
The traditional homeland for the Makah was on the northwest portion of the Olympic Peninsula. Whales provided a great deal of food for the Makah. With regard to the economic importance of whaling to the Makah, Janine Bowechop, in her chapter in Coming to Shore: Northwest Coast Ethnography, Traditions, and Visions, reports:
“Prior to contact with non-Indians Makahs were wealthy, in part due to the trade of whale oil. Neighboring tribes traded canoes, roots, and other goods for the whale oil and blubber that the Makah people provided.”
Among the Makah, the right to hunt whales was inherited and it also had to be earned. Young men would apprentice themselves to experienced whale hunters in order to learn both the technology of the hunt and the spiritual power needed. Noting that whale hunting among the Makah required more than just courage, Janine Bowechop, Merdith Parker, Maria Pascua, and Rebekah Monette, in their chapter in Listening to Our Ancestors: The Art of Native Life Along the North Pacific Coast, write:
“It demanded strength and remarkable technical knowledge: the use of line and floats, the use of different woods for canoes and harpoon shafts, the behavior of whales, how to read the tides by the sea grass, kelp, and other indicators.”
In her chapter in Coming to Shore: Northwest Coast Ethnography, Traditions, and Visions, Janine Bowechop reports:
“Makahs had engaged in whaling as a religious, subsistence, and economic activity for several thousand years or longer. Whales were abundant and were harvested by a particular portion of the population during two seasons of the year.”
Among the Makah, whaling was done by a crew of eight men, each of whom had a specific task to do during the hunt. Once the whale was killed, one man would dive into the water to sew the whale’s mouth shut to prevent the whale from sinking. The whale was then towed ashore and was divided among the people in the village.
Among the Makah, the whaling canoe is about forty feet in length with the prow of the boat carved separately and attached to the bow. According to writer Robert Sullivan, in his book A Whale Hunt:
“The canoe’s wide interior is a deep red; its exterior is black and painted with a solution of burnt alder and fish oil or sometimes with a special mud from a swamp.”
There are some reports that the Makah used woven mats as canoe sails.
Shown above is a Makah rope made from cedar. This dates to the 1880s. The Makah used heavy ropes such as this for towing a whale.
Shown above is a hard wood halibut hook.
According to the display:
“The figures carved on hard wood halibut hooks may reflect the spirit helper needed by the fisherman to have a successful catch.”
For the Makah, halibut was one of the most import fish. Halibut were caught primarily in the spring and summer from offshore banks. Among the Makah, the rights to fish in certain areas were held by families and these fishing rights were reaffirmed during the potlatch ceremonies.
Shown above is a fishhook made with a bone point lashed to Yew wood. With European trade, metal points began to replace the bone points.
Fishing lines were made from a variety of materials. Frequently bulk kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) was used. This seaweed sends out a long stipe which can be up to 81 feet long. This was soaked in fresh water, stretched, and then twisted for extra strength. These lines could then be joined together to make long fishing lines with a great deal of strength. Other materials used for making fishing lines included whale sinew, nettle fiber, and inner cedar bark.
Shown above is a Yew wood fish club with a carving of a sea lion. The fish club would be used after hooking and pulling the fish in.
Shown above is a model basketry fish trap made about 1900 in the Puget Sound.
Shown above is a Westcoast Canoe model.
According to the display:
“Westcoast is a term used to describe the similar material culture of the Makah of Washington and the Nuu-chah-nulth tribe of Vancouver Island. Known by a variety of names (such as Chinook) this most seaworthy of canoes was a coveted trade item among river tribes within inland Washington.”
The Makah made Westcoast canoes in six standard sizes and styles which were used for carrying freight, whaling, sealing, war,and other activities. In their chapter on the Makah in the Handbook of North American Indians, Ann Renker and Erna Gunther write:
“These graceful, seaworthy craft were essential to whaling, pelagic sealing, and trading voyages. They were also important trade items.”
Indians 101
Twice a week Indians 101 explores American Indian histories, cultures, crafts, and current concerns. More from this series:
Indians 101: 500 Years Ago, 1519
Indians 101: Some Old Indian Photographs (Photo Diary)
Indians 101: A very short overview of Northern Plains Indian spirituality
Indians 101: Raising a Tipi (Photo Diary)
Indians 101: The Povungnituk Print Shop (Art Diary)
Indians 201: Writing in Cherokee
Indians 101: The Eastern Woodlands Culture Area
Indians 201: Sealth (Seattle), Suquamish/Duwamish Leader
