Nuu-chah-nulth

North Americahunter-gatherers

Map
expand_more Description

The Nuu-Chah-Nulth live primarily on the western coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, A closely related group, the Makah, live in the Cape Flattery area of northwestern Washington State, The Nuu-Chah-Nulth and the related Makah speak languages in the Southern Wakashan language family. Traditionally, subsistence was based on the hunting of both land and sea animals (seals, whales) as well as fishing (primarily salmon), supplemented by the gathering of wild plants and roots. The basic political unit was the local group. Several local groups together constituted a tribe governed by a chief. In Nuu-Chah-Nulth society each person had an inherited social rank, and all Nuu-Chah-Nulth were rank-ordered in relation to each other. Class structure was apparent by the division of communities into nobles, commoners, and slaves.

Identifier
Region
  • North America
Subregion
  • Northwest Coast and California
Subsistence Type
  • hunter-gatherers
Samples
Countries
  • Canada
  • United States
External Links