The Makah tribe reside at the Northwest corner of the Olympic peninsula in Washington State. The pacific ocean and the Strait of Juan de Fuca border the reservation. Streams, creaks, and the ocean provide resources for the area. The Makah reservation is approximately 42 square miles and lies about 2000 feet above mean sea level. The Land is rugged and Hilly and has steep slopes and narrow valleys.
On the contrary the Sooes and Waatch rivers are low, broad and swampy. In the swampy pools there are yellow flags of skunk cabbage. The reservation has rocky cliffs near the Waatch and Sooes river that create a beach that runs for several miles. On the Coast the ocean creates very rough and dangerous rip tides. But today the buoys and lighthouse help keep the area safe. Also bordering the shores are multiple fishing banks in the ocean and in the strait.
The makah tribe is very connected to the landscape and uses every bit of it. Below ill add some pictures of the beautiful landscape. Stay tuned for next weeks blog about how the makah culture make their living: The world of the Makah culture!
The shoreline and the Fuca Pillar
The Neah Bay Marina
A sealion haul out near Tatoosh Island
The Sooes Beach
The Makah Culture originating from the northwestern tip of Washington State, United States consists of 5 permanent villages. All housed along the shore the Waatch, Deah, Ozette, Bahaada, and soles, inhabit two to four thousand Makah natives in the early 1800's. The Makah Tribe is actually pronounced Muh-Kaw and is the name that the English gave them. They call themselves Qwiqwidicciat which means people of the point. During the beginning of the Makah timeline the environment is what they knew most about, activities like whaling, fishing and hunting.
Whaling was one of the biggest traditions of the Makah tribe. In the late 1700's the Makah tribe took a turn for the worst, after an encounter with europeans the tribe withered down because of small pox, tuberculosis, influenza and whooping cough. In hopes to save the tribe and culture the Makah tribe signed the Treaty of the Neah Bay with the United states on January 31, 1855 to protect Themselves against further troubles. With that the Makah culture continued to thrive on the land and sea of the area and became the successful culture that they are today. Stay tuned to next weeks blog post about the physical landscape of the homeland of the Makah Culture!
