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You are here: Home / History / What type of houses did Northwest Native Americans build?

What type of houses did Northwest Native Americans build?

July 22, 2020 by Karen Hill

In the Northwest, great forests of cedar trees provided Native Americans with an ideal building material.

The trunks of these trees could be easily split into planks as long as 40 feet. Using these planks, Native Americans built large, sturdy wooden houses that were well suited to their rainy climate. Plank houses were clustered to form villages, which were usually located along the beach. The entrance to a plank house normally faced the ocean.

To the Northwest Native Americans, a plank house was more than just a place to live. It was a symbol of a family’s social position. Most of the Native Americans’ wealth belonged to just a few families, who had the greatest power in their villages.

An important family’s house was painted with designs of animals and other creatures.

Along with totem poles, these paintings were emblems of a family’s privileged place in society.

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  • What type of houses did southeastern Native Americans build and How are chickees built?
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  • When did Northwest Native Americans first meet non-Native Americans?

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.

Previous Post: « Why did California’s Native American population grow so much in the twentieth century?
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