ANTH 220: Pacific Northwest Coast Peoples- Past & Present

Credits 5
Distribution List
Academic Elective

Examines current indigenous and scientific thoughts about the origins, development and variation of Pacific Northwest cultures. We consider at least 12,000 years of cultural history in the Northwest Coast region, leading to one of the culturally most complex maritime societies to have existed into the contemporary times. Pacific Northwest Coast Peoples, rich in culture, tradition and with an extensive knowledge of the environment they occupy, are recorded with mile-long villages containing as many as 1,000 inhabitants, monumental construction in homes, canoes and art, and highly complex societies, consisting of nobles, commoners and slaves. We will discuss how these cultures shape modern life throughout this region today. This class may include students from multiple sections. (Elective)

  1. Characterize the general and culturally significant environmental features of the Northwest Coast of North America,
  2. Understand how social scientist have described the languages, human biology and archaeological heritage of the people in this region,
  3. Analyze the historical cross-cultural contact period that set the stage for treaties and efforts by the U.S. and Canada to acculturate Northwest Indians into their culture,
  4. Describe the history of anthropological research in this area,
  5. Characterize the anthropological/archaeological research in the major cultural regions of the Northwest Coast
  6. Identify the underpinnings of current political configurations of tribes/bands in the Northwest,
  7. Recognize contemporary issues in the region, including development of future fishing, sea mammal hunting, land mammal hunting, gathering, logging and gaming,
  8. Discuss from a Euro-American perspective of John Jewitt’s, what cultural life was like from 1803-1805 while he was held as a slave of Chief Maquinna of the Nuu-chah-nulth on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.