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The Coast Salish homeland stretched form the Strait of Georgia north of the Fraser River to the southern end of Puget Sound, encompassing the sites of the modern-day cities of Vancouver, British Columbia and Seattle, Washington. A branch of the Coast Salish, including the Tillamook and related tribes, established themselves on the coast of Oregon south of the ChinookanChinookan refers to several groups of Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. In the early 19th century, the Chinookan peoples lived along the lower and middle Columbia River in present-day Oregon and Washington. The Chinook peoples at the mouth of the Columbia RiverColumbia River Gorge, Washington or North side The Columbia River is the largest river in volume flowing into the Pacific Ocean from North America. Its headwaters are located in the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, and it flows through the east-centr. Archeological evidence indicates that the Coast Salish may have inhabited the area as far back as 9000 B.C.
Villages of the Coast Salish typically consisted of redcedarWestern Redcedar Western Redcedar shoot with mature cones Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Division: Pinophyta Class: Pinopsida Order: Pinales Family: Cupressaceae Genus Thuja Species Thuja plicata Western Redcedar Thuja plicata a species of thu-planked and earthen-floor longhouses providing habitation for forty or more people, usually related. The villages were typically located near navigable water for easy transportation by dugout canoeA canoe is a relatively small human-powered boat. It is propelled by one or more people (depending on the size of canoe), using single-bladed paddles. The paddlers face in the direction of travel, either in a seated position or kneeling on the bottom of t. Houses that were part of the same village sometimes stretched for several miles along a river or watercourse.
The interior walls of longhouses were typically lined with sleeping platforms. Storage shelves above the platforms held baskets, tools, clothing, and other items. Firewood was stored below the platforms. Mattresses and cushions were constructed woven reed mats and animals skins. Food was hung to dry from the ceiling. The larger houses included partitions to separate families, as well as interior fires with roof slats that functioned as chimneys.
The staple of their diet was salmonThis article is about the fish. For the color, see salmon (color). Salmon is the common name for several species of fish of the Salmonidae family. Several other fishes in the family are called trout. Salmon live in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans..
The art of the Coast Salish has become a popular idiom for modern art in British Columbia and the Puget Sound area.