The Makah

There were many tribes in the Pacific Northwest, and all had many things in common. But there was only one tribe in the United States, specifically on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, the spoke the Wakashan language. Of course there were other tribes that were in this lingual community, but they were further north on the Canadian coastline. The tribe on the peninsula was not unique in its ways, but it certainly hides some interesting history. “We call ourselves ‘Kwih-dich-chug-ahtx’ or ‘people who live by the rocks and seagulls’” (Makah Nation, The).

This tribe, better known as the Makah, (which, by the way, means “generous with food,”) lives on the northwestern most tip of the United States. Their central town is Neah Bay, formerly known as Dia’ht. The other four towns that make up the Makah reservation include the Wa’atch, Tsoo-Yess, Ba’adah, and Osett (or Ozette). The land stretches from the Olympic mountains to the Pacific coast. The climate is moderate, with more than a hundred inches of rain per year. As long as the Makah history dates back they have lived by the ways of the coast, eating its food (which included shellfish, mussels, clams, fish, deer, elk, and fruits and berries,) and using its trees for everything from clothing to longhouses. But the greatest tradition of all was the sacred whale hunt.

No one seems to know just how old this tradition is. If one asked the Makah, they are likely to answer “forever.” Whale hunting was not just a physical task, made necessary by the need for the tools obtained from the creature, but this was also a spiritual hunt as well. This daunting event was made even more difficult by the complicated rituals that accompanied it. In preparation, the hunters would bathe themselves in the icy Pacific, rubbing their skin raw on the sharp mussels and barnacles. Then they would often dig up and dismember a corpse and tie the torso to their backs as a gesture of respect for their dead brethren. On the day of the hunt, the Makah whalers would paddle out into the vast Pacific in their dug-out canoes, in search of a migrating whale, usually a gray or humpback. When one was spotted, the harpoonist would plunge the spear into the whale. The specially designed harpoon would be attached to a long, sinewy line, that was, in turn, attached to the canoe. On the line were inflated seal skin floats that helped to buoy the whale up at the surface, preventing it from diving, and later, from sinking. By this method, the hunters were towed where ever the whale went, and once it died, a diver would jump into the water and sew the creature’s mouth shut. This prevented air from escaping and also aided in keeping it afloat for the trip back to the village.

When the hunters returned there were celebrations and feasts by the whole tribe. The wives of the whalers were glad that the men had returned safely and also that they themselves could once again move about. During the hunt they had been required to remain still in their beds, not eating, sleeping, or talking, because it was believed that their actions would effect how the whale would behave. Most every part of the whale was used, its bones, its baleen, and even its oil. The meat was rarely any good by this time, after being dragged miles across the Pacific. Potlatches were sometimes held, and the whale was treated as an honored guest.

A lot of the Makah’s traditions and beliefs revolved around the whale hunt. But even though the potlatch was occasionally held after a whaling expedition’s safe return, they were also held for many other events, such as a birth or death in a family, or to let a large number of people know of a person’s great wealth. This event “provided the means for the ancient Makah culture to standardize important information about marriages, deaths, and the ownership of names, songs, dances, and other ceremonial and economic privileges” (Makah Tribe, The). During these times a host would distribute gifts to his guests. He might even destroy money and verbally abuse people to prove his financial and social superiority. If a guest received a gift, he would then be obliged to hold a potlatch of his own, trying to give away gifts of even greater value to show his own wealth.

The Makah, having survived many years of trouble and hardship, are now centrally located in Neah Bay. Elders of the tribe, and other leaders, are trying to revitalize old customs and traditions, and are making progress. The whale hunt, which had been abandoned for about seventy years, has in just the past few, been reestablished, making the Makah the only Native American tribe to be allowed to go whaling by treaty. And no matter what comes, the ‘people who live by the rocks and seagulls’ will be sure to persevere for many years to come.