West
The West includes many different environments and peoples. These sources focus especially on Chumash communities of coastal California and Native communities of the Columbia River and Pacific Northwest.
Start with the overview
Read the Khan Academy article first. Use it to identify big regional patterns before you investigate specific communities.
Read the OverviewG — Geography
Explore rivers, salmon, seasonal movement, foods, and Native nations of the Columbia Basin.
Connect the sea, shellfish, and salmon to Native nations of the Pacific Coast. Use the original link for its maps and images.
See where Chumash villages were built (near lagoons, creek mouths, lakes, and springs) and how the coast and islands shaped life.
See where Chumash villages were, which islands had fresh water, and how people used both the ocean and the coastal mountains.
R — Religion
See how salmon connects spirituality, ceremony, identity, and daily life.
Explore oral traditions, a sky story, ceremonial dances, animals, and sacred beliefs.
A — Achievement
Study tomols, basketry, fishhooks, food processing, homes, and other technologies.
Learn how plank-built ocean canoes were designed and constructed.
P — Politics
Look for evidence about independent towns and villages, and how communities were organized.
Investigate chiefs, social classes, and settlements.
Look for evidence of a powerful chief, high-ranking families, and tomol owners in one village.
E — Economics
Trace salmon, shells, obsidian, hides, baskets, and other goods through a major trade center.
Shell-bead money and island-mainland exchange.
See how bead money was made and how its value was measured (see “Bead Money”).
S — Social Structure
Investigate houses, villages, sweathouses, and ceremonial spaces.
Look for signs of status, such as a chief’s larger house and bearskin cape (see “Shelter” and “Dress”).
Compare a Northwest Coast society: clan gatherings, the potlatch, and how a host raised his social rank.