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The Northwest coast of America

The northwest coast has an exceptional climate conducive to the growth of temperate rainforests sheltering many animal species. In addition to these resources, the indigenous people took most of their food from the sea and rivers. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, a population of about 250,000 people lived in this natural environment leading one of the most complex lifestyles for sedentary, non agricultural peoples.

The potlatch, a display of rank

The Native American societies on the northwest coast were hierarchical. Each person had a specific place in a complex social structure. An influential position was often cunningly negotiated or fiercely contested. The rank and social status of an individual such as a chief was strengthened at potlatches, ceremonial feasts involving gift-giving on an enormous scale. Before European contact, the products distributed were mainly fur or cedar bark blankets. Later the most prized exchange goods were large amounts of easily quantifiable foreign products: woollen blankets, dishes, bags of flour, etc.