The Haidaof the Pacific Northwest

Table of ContentsThe Pacific Northwest…………………………………………………………………. 2Homes………………………………………………………………………………………….3Food……………………………………………………………………………………………..4Clothing………………………………………………………………………………………..5Canoes………………………………………………………………………………………….6

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The Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest has a lot of rain. There is plenty of water there. There is a lot of snow on the Queen Charlotte Islands. There are very vast forests. There are deer, otters, mountain goats and salmon on the islands. One of the tribes that lived there were the Haidas.

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There are a lot of beaches on the Queen Charlotte Islands.

Forests are on the beach of the Queen Charlotte Islands.

HomesThe Haida lived in big rectangular houses made out of red cedar. They would decorate their houses with ravens and eagles. Sometimes they would have celebrations in their homes. The Haida would often have a fire pit for cooking and warmth. All Haida houses have a name like an animal or another form of nature such as Dogfish House and Moon House.

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Inside of a Haida house.

A Haida house.

FoodThe Haida ate many types of food like deer meat, berries, fruits, nuts, corn and fish like salmon. The Haida dried salmon for the winter. Salmon was a main food source for the Haida. The Haida had a lot of food.

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Foods that the Haida eat.

Clothing

The Haida wore beautiful clothing with designs of eagles and ravens. Their clothing is made from goat hair, animal furs and bird feathers. Women would soften animal skins in heated water, then they would make the skins into dresses, shirts , leggings and robes. Women also wove roots or reeds into pieces of fabric and sewed the pieces into capes and robes.

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Haida clothes.

CanoesThe Haida would make canoes made of red or yellow cedar trees. They also hollowed out birch trees to make canoes. They used their small canoes to catch fish. They used large canoes to go on long trading trips, to special feasts or to war. The Haida made huge canoes that can hold up to forty people and two tons of cargo. They often decorated their canoes with ravens.

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Haida canoes.

Glossary

Canoe: a narrow boat that you move through the water by paddling.

Celebration: a joyous ceremony or gathering, usually to mark a major event.

Robes: a piece of clothing like a long, loose coat.

Salmon: a large fish with a silvery skin and pink flesh.

The Queen Charlotte Islands: a group of islands on the Pacific coast of British Columbia and southern Alaska.

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