The Willis Carey Wing of the Cashmere Museum in Cashmere, Washington includes an exhibit of Pacific Northwest and Alaska artifacts.
Wild plant foods are often ground into a flour or meal so that they can be used in making food. Many Indian cultures used stone mortars and pestles (manos and metates) for this process.
Obsidian, a natural glass produced by volcanic action, was a valued natural resource for many tribes. A blade knapped from obsidian is sharper than a surgical scalpel. In some places obsidian is found in massive flows but it can be difficult to extract. On the Northwest Coast, obsidian was relatively rare and therefore was a highly valued trade item.
More museum exhibits
Indians 101: Wenatchi Indians (museum exhibit)
Indians 101: Entiat and Chelan Indians (museum exhibit)
Indians 101: Native American Salmon Fishing on the Columbia River (museum exhibit)
Indians 101: Plateau Indian food gathering (museum exhibit)
Indians 101: The Fowler Collection of American Indian artifacts (museum exhibit)
Indians 101: Buckskin (museum exhibit)
Indians 101: Native American craftsmanship (museum exhibit)
Indians 101: Coastal canoes (museum exhibit)