Archives West Finding Aid

Until historic times, the Makah Tribe was composed of five principal winter villages. The prehistoric population of the Makah was estimated to be between approximately 2000 – 4000 people. Today there are roughly 1500 living in and around Neah Bay. The five villages were located on the shores of the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. These villages were composed of large cedar plank longhouses, which housed many members of an extended family. The social units of Makah life were large extended families. Cultural information was vested in these families, as were inherited cultural privileges, or “tupat” such as ownership of songs, dances, stories, land and ocean resources and cultural information. Such “tupat” was and is today, owned not by the Makah as a whole, but by Makah families and individuals within the Family.

Although Makah cultural practices vary from family to family, dance and song have always been an important way for native peoples to communicate, tell stories and pass down cultural information to the next generation. This was the way most of their ancestors received the stories of elders before written language. Songs, dances and stories are owned by specific families or individuals, meaning that they can only be performed by members of that family. At potlatches, these songs are performed by the families to reaffirm ownership and identify family members which have the right to sing them. The songs are used at weddings, naming ceremonies, memorials and other family or community celebrations.

Today, the Makah still practice their cultural heritage, teach language start children, hold dance practices and participate in canoe journeys. They continue to pass down the ancient songs of their ancestors and new songs are composed to commemorate important events in their lives.

(Source: “Learn About the Makah”, Makah Tribal Council, web)