There are several distinct tribes in North America. For example, the Salish made emergency canoes from cedar bark. They were light and easy to portage, and they were used to cross rivers and lakes. In addition, they used kayaks to travel long distances.
Eskimo tribes
Canoes and kayaks were used by the Eskimo tribes for hunting and fishing, and also for transport. The term “kayak” comes from the Eskimo language, meaning “man boat.” Canoes and kayaks are closed vessels with a cockpit, and they are typically made of a single piece of wood.
Aleuts travelled widely by sea and were often seen visiting the settlements of other coastal Alaskan tribes. They were often friendly with the Alutiiq, and intermarried with them. However, there were frequent wars between Aleuts and Alutiiq, often over family feuds, and territory. But the Alutiiq and Aleuts would return to peaceful trading relationships after these conflicts were over.
The first recorded voyager of the Arrow Lakes was a botanist, David Douglas, who first observed the tribes using canoes made of Cedar and fine bark of Pine. He noted that the boats were remarkably fast and maneuverable. In addition, they had sails, which greatly extended their range. Nootka whalers paddled to open seas in their eight-man cedar canoes and hunted grey whales for oil and meat.
In the Copper area, canoes were used more for hunting than transportation. They are larger and narrower than river canoes and are characterized by a double bladed paddle. The frame of these canoes was constructed with a crooked knife, wooden pegs, and an adze. The skins of these boats were then covered with wet seal skins. The women would sew them quickly before they dried out.
Makah tribe
The Makah tribe has relied on the ocean for their subsistence for centuries. Throughout their history, the Makah tribe has harvested whales for food and made oil from their blubber. They also gathered and processed whale carcasses that drifted to shore for food and raw materials.
The Makah people often traveled by water in kayaks and canoes. The Makah were very skilled canoeists. Their traditional canoes were often made of cedar, which were time-consuming to make. The craftsmen would first cut a rough outline of the canoe’s hull. The shape of the canoe would depend on its purpose, so different canoes were made for different purposes.
Because of their abundant natural resources, the Makah were able to create a sophisticated society. The Makah tribe was organized into families, with specific rules and roles for members. Each family had a leader who ruled over the group. In addition, each person had a numbered position of status, and only one person could occupy each position. This meant that if one member committed a terrible crime, their place in the family would change.
The Makah people have a long history of whale hunting. While there were a number of unsuccessful attempts to kill the gray whale in the 1960s, the Makah people were able to successfully hunt one in 1999. While the whale hunt was interrupted for several years, the Makahs continued to assert their treaty rights and continue this ancient tradition.
Tsimshian tribe
The Tsimshian tribe was an Indigenous people in Northwest Canada and the United States. Their homeland is located on Annette Island, a small island 16 miles south of Ketchikan, Alaska. At the time of European contact, the Tsimshian population was estimated to be 8,000-10,000. However, in 1990, the population of the Tsimshian people in Canada and the United States was only about 4,550.
Often, the Tsimshian people traveled by water in canoes or kayaks. The canoe was often decorated with intricate carvings along its length. This made it a practical vessel for long journeys in the ocean. It was also an important trade item among tribes along the Pacific Northwest Coast.
Haida tribe
The Haida tribe was known for its large dugout canoes that were hollowed out of cedar logs. These boats could reach sixty feet long and were made to withstand stormy waves. Haida canoes were so impressive that they were admired by many other Northwest Coast Indian tribes. The Haida tribe used these boats for trading and raiding mainland villages. Today, kayaks and canoes are used by people of the Haida tribe, as well as non-natives.
Unlike the Sioux tribe, the Haida people did not wear headdresses. Rather, men wore finely woven spruce root basket hats, often showing status and family ties. Women wore long hair, coiled into topknots, and men sometimes wore beards and mustaches.
Ojibwe tribe
The Ojibwe arrived in the 1500s from the east, bringing with them a language similar to Algonquin. The Ojibwe believe that there were three eras in the creation of the world, the first of which was dominated by monsters. The second era was dominated by humans, and the third was dominated by animals. The Nanabush, a human who came from the second era, brought with him the first arrowhead, hunting, and fishing. The Ojibwe also believe that in the final era, the humans will lose contact with the animals and will be ruled by the Shaman.
The Ojibwa culture is based on clans and bands. Each clan has a common ancestor. Some were patrilineal while others were matrilineal. The members of a clan claim a common totem, a living creature that symbolizes their family. Originally, the totems were bear, bird, and deer, but later, they were joined by a catfish, deer, and marten. Totems are symbolic and represent various traits, such as knowledge, prowess, healing power, and sustenance.
After contact with non-Native Americans, traditional Ojibwa life changed significantly. The Ojibwa became more dependent on trade and seasonal travel, and they were dispersed throughout the country. The tribe’s traditional way of life was disrupted by the establishment of reservations and government relocation policies. Ojibwa families migrated to areas with limited land and resources. The Ojibwa often lived in frame cabins or one-room log homes. In some cases, rush mats were replaced with tar paper shacks. The rate of acculturation varied from reservation to reservation.
Sinixt tribe
The Sinixt tribe often travelled by water, often in canoes or kayaks. They lived near a river and hunted salmon. They also trained dogs to herd deer to the water’s edge, where they pierced them with arrows.
Today, many Sinixt people are celebrating the one-year anniversary of a Supreme Court of Canada decision. In 2010, a Sinixt man, Richard Desautel, was arrested for shooting an elk near Castlegar, British Columbia. He filed a lawsuit and was successfully defended his right to hunt in his traditional territory. Lawrence, a Sinixt, says that the decision has had a profound impact on his life.
The Sinixt people traveled by water in their kayaks or canoes to hunt caribou, gather plants, and gather medicines. Their villages were located along rivers and lakes. As a result, they had extensive trade routes. Because they traveled by water, their canoes were often shaped by the nose of a sturgeon.
Before white contact, the Sinixt tribe occupied a relatively small nation. The first European contact with these tribes occurred in 1811, when David Thompson encountered them near Revelstoke. Thompson noted the pockmarked faces of their survivors. He suspected smallpox had been carried from neighbouring tribes by trade goods. Thompson documented the Sinixt’s vast traditional territory, much of which was in Canada, and the Columbia River travelled north for nearly 200 km.
The Sinixt made annual trips to Kettle Falls. During these trips, the tribe shared the harvest of salmon with the Skoyelpi. The Salmon Chief was responsible for making sure that the salmon reached all members of the camp. The sketch of the Kettle Falls Salmon Chief shows the Salmon Chief and notes that they usually caught salmon in the upper part of the river.