The Makah Tribe, misnamed by a neighboring tribe, traditionally lived in longhouses and relied on the sea for their livelihoods, including whaling. Diseases brought by Europeans caused deaths and knowledge gaps. The Treaty of Neah Bay in 1855 granted the Makah whaling rights and a reservation, where they can still hunt one whale a year.
The Makah Tribe, Native Americans from the Northwest Coast region of the United States, are misnamed. “Makah,” or “generous,” was the name given to these American Indians by a tribe that lived nearby. Qwiqwidicciat, translated meaning “the people of the dot” or “the people of the cloak”, is the name the Makah people use for themselves. Today, the Makah tribe has a reservation in Washington state.
While the Qwiqwidicciat roamed the coastal areas and acres of inland forest, the Makah tribe had five permanent villages in the Pacific Northwest, home to 2,000 to 4,000 Native Americans. The people lived in long houses built of cedar planks. Several generations of extended families lived in these longhouses, approximately 30 feet wide and 70 feet long (about 9 by 21 meters).
The Makah tribe traditionally looked to the seas for their livelihoods. Qwiqwidicciat caught fish such as salmon and halibut and ate the fish fresh, dried or smoked. They brought in seasoned fish to eat during the winter months. Qwiqwidicciat also caught porpoises and seals, ate the meats fresh and also aged them for the winters while using porpoises and seal skins for floats. Members of this tribe were also whalers.
Qwiqwidicciat hunted whales including gray, humpback, sperm and blue whales. After being caught, whales were used for food. Additionally, the blubber from the whales was used to make oil, which was used by the Makah tribe or traded with other Native Americans. Over time oil was also traded with Europeans and European-Americans. Whale bones were used to make items such as weapons and personal ornaments.
In the late 1700s, even before the Makah tribe made direct contact with Europeans, these Native Americans began dying of diseases such as whooping cough, smallpox, influenza, and tuberculosis, all infections that the Qwiqwidicciat did not have. never developed natural immunity to fight. These deaths led to knowledge gaps that had traditionally been passed down from generation to generation within extended families.
Whaling rights were a key feature of the treaty the Makah tribe negotiated with the United States in 1855, known as the Treaty of Neah Bay in 1855. In order to continue whaling and preserve other Makah culture, the Makah Nation gave the United States 300,000 acres (about 121,406 hectares). This treaty was ratified by the United States Congress in 1859.
Today the Makah are able to hunt one whale a year. The Makah Reservation contains approximately 27,000 acres, although the reservation may increase if the Makah purchases more land. This reserve contains a museum, restaurants and a public school.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
