Pacific Northwest Coastal Native Americans - Government and Wealth Illustration

Government,
Reputation & Wealth
Pacific Northwest Coastal Native Americans
in Olden Times for Kids

Unlike other tribes across the country, the Pacific Northwest Coastal Native Americans never developed democracy.  Instead, they ruled by wealth.

The clan with the most wealth had the most power. They set great store by wealth, family connections, and slave ownership. They took social climbing to a new level.

One of the ways you gained great respect was by giving things away. If someone gave you one blanket, you gave them two or three blankets. Such generosity made a man famous.

The Potlatch

The Fur Trade

Money Blankets & Coppers

Clans & Marriage

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