More than one hundred Indian tribes in fifteen language groups inhabited the area of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, & Western Montana in the nineteenth century. This important work, the first composite history of the region’s native inhabitants, covers the period roughly from 1750 to 1900, from the first white contacts to the aftermath of the Dawes Act. It is a valuable resource both for the serious scholars & general readers. The cultures of the Pacific Northwest tribes were as diverse as their lands. Coastal peoples, such as the Makahs, hunted whales in huge wooden canoes thirty-five feet long. Whites were shocked by the head flattening practiced by some coastal peoples & by the potlatch ceremony, in which they gave away their possessions. Farther inland, along the Columbia River, tribal economies centered around the salmon. The smoked fish was traded all over the region. On the east the horse transformed the way of life of the Shoshonis, Nez Perces, Kalispels, & Blackfeet. Each spring they crossed the Rockies to hunt the buffalo & fight for control of the hunting territory. The first whites to enter the Pacific Northwest were Spanish mariners from the south & British & American traders stopping for furs on their way to China.Later the British North West Company & Hudson’s Bay Company established trading posts. Excellent Pre-Owned Condition Smoke Free Home New to Poshmark? Sign up w code reggie88188 and get $10 off your first purchase.