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You are here: Home / History / What is the Nootka Whale House used for and Why did Medicine men perform ceremonies inside?

What is the Nootka Whale House used for and Why did Medicine men perform ceremonies inside?

June 24, 2020 by Karen Hill

Successful whale hunters were highly respected by the Nootka Indians.

To honor them, they built a special shrine, now known as the Whale House. The Nootka Whale House contained wooden whale carvings, human skulls, and carved figures of whalers who had died.

Medicine men performed ceremonies in the house so that more dead whales would wash up on the shore.

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Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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