The Northwest Coast people built villages on beaches. They often built where a river or stream flowed into the ocean. A river made it easier for villagers to go inland. A village was made up of one or more rows of wooden houses. These houses faced the ocean. The people lived here in the fall and winter months.
In the spring and summer, they moved to part-time houses further inland. When they got there, they went hunting. They also gathered berries and roots. These were dried and eaten in the winter. They collected enough food in spring and summer to last through the winter. So they spent their winters creating art, telling stories, and feasting at fancy ceremonies.
