In 1492, the rivers and oceans of the Pacific Northwest were filled with salmon, halibut, and many other fish.
People dug for clams and mussels on the shore. The area got lots of rain. Tall cedar trees grew in the forests. So did bushes full of tasty berries. Many of the people there were farmers. But they didn’t need to grow crops. They could catch their food with a hook, a net, or a spear.
The Makah were one of the groups of Native Americans who lived in the Pacific Northwest in 1492. They hunted whales and seals. Their villages faced the Pacific Ocean. Every spring, gray whales and fur seals swam nearby on their way back to cold northern waters. When the Makah saw the whales, they got ready for the hunt. The last whaling canoe is about to leave. Hop aboard!