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Plateau People Info

Food & Diet:

Plateau tribes and groups were hunters and fishers and gathered berries and roots
The Plateau people had to walk great distances to hunt for food
Plateau groups would go to the Columbia and Snake Rivers to fish, trade, and have other cultural
activities
When the hunting groups hunt in their area, they hunted land animals like deer, rabbits, and elk
Loyalty and cooperation were important for to tribe’s survival and hunting for food

Shelter and Clothing:

Plateau people needed warmer clothing for the cold winters

Pit houses were built due to the lack of wood/30ft diameter and 6ft underground
Mats, skins, grass, and soil were used for building roofs
Mat-houses shaped like tents are poles covered in mats
They wore leather clothes
Men wore leggings, shirts, moccasins sometimes with decorations
Women wore moccasins, leggings, dresses sometimes with decoration
Animal Skin robes for cold winter

Gender Roles:

All men, women, and newcomers get the rights of citizenship in the village voting, holding
office, and participating in all activities.
Each village had a Council of elected men and women. Each village also had its own chief.
The men were responsible for hunting, fishing, warfare, and making tools.
The women were responsible for gathering and preserving wild roots, nuts, vegetables and
berries, cooking meals, childcare, and making clothes, mats, and baskets
(Any gender could do any job like when a man is hurt, he can work with the women)
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Tribal Structure:

Social Hierarchy didn’t matter to the Plateau people/no slaves/class differences didn’t matter
Chiefs and leaders are chosen for skill and not family heritage
Health and Status didn’t mater
Leaders and chiefs lead different things and don’t speak the same language
Some tribes or groups began to work together, and some didn’t after horses provided
transportation

Religion:

Plateau people had respect for the earth and feeling for nature
They also have spiritual beliefs and spirit quests like cleaning themselves and fasting, then find a
spirit to teach them special songs and dances
Spirits can be called for aid in war, finding food, curing sickness, and other needs
January is the start for most festivals and ceremonies
Ceremonies for the appreciation and dependence of the start of salmon season, the start of
berry and root gathering season, and the hunting season
People took great pride in making life for everyone in the village safe and pleasant, and all jobs
were considered equally important

Geographic Influence:

The Fraser River and the Columbia River supplied the Plateau people with great amounts of
salmon which was their major food source
The plateau area was located between the Plains and the Northwest Coast areas, which made it
easier to trade with different people from different areas and tribes.
There was a land slide known as "Hell's Gateslide" that made the Fraser River impassible for
Salmon; This impacted the plateau with hot dry summers and cold humid winters. Cold winters
of this area caused natives would move to their pit houses in the winter because of its ability to
retain heat
The land comprised of pine and alder in high elevations and grasslands or sub-arctic forests in
low elevations, which supplied the native plateau people with a variety of different food sources
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https://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/plateau/family-villages-government.html

https://wgssplateau.weebly.com/geography.html