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Old Northwest Indian Village circa 1880. The wooden houses of the chiefs, each with its own totems, are set in a tight row facing the water. The canoes can be seen up front. A mortuary pole can be seen at left. The memorial poles are the very tall ones.

Art in Northwest Indian Life

The traditional art and myth of the Northwest Indian was so rich and extensive it will likely be recognized as the most valuable inheritance of America's pre-European past. We are only just beginning to mine this incredible resource and recognize its full worth.

Art permeated all aspects of Northwest Indians' lives and rituals. They lived in houses that were beautifully put together as architectural forms, and were carved and painted to add texture, color, ornament, symbolism and meaning. Dance ceremonies, storytelling, eulogies and elaborate negotiations all took place on stages provided within these houses. Family and clan crests were embodied in murals and in carved house posts. They served as constant reminders of one's link to the past — witnesses to the stability of the society and culture and confirmation of one's own worth and rightful place in the sun.

Within the limited confines of this site it is impossible to show all aspects of the Northwest art tradition, just as it is impossible to reveal the full verbal tradition. But it would be remiss not to provide at least a glimpse of the range of art objects and the roles they played in rituals. I will do this by showing some photographs of the old art and artifacts alongside photographs taken in the late 1800s of the actual living environments and rituals.

The interior of a log house showing the two house posts supporting the main beams with a carved stage up front for holding ceremonies.

The Northwest Indians decorated every article they used in ceremony and many utilitarian objects as well. The ceremonial objects included masks, headdresses, shawls, rattles, aprons, copper shields and painted boards. Each of these embodied the crests of the owner and proclaimed his clan associations, family history, rights, and privileges. Utilitarian objects, such as storage boxes, were nevertheless highly carved and decorated.

It is difficult for Westerners to understand the true value of these objects to the Indian. Their beauty, the painstaking effort taken in their manufacture, and the high cost of the ingredients used, only determined a small part of their value. It is their symbolism which determines most of it. For ownership of the crests embodied in these objects was equivalent to owning the firm behind the logo of contemporary businesses — like the peacock for NBC.

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