These Coastal tribes (Haida, Tsimsyan, Kwakiutl, Nootka and
Coast Salish) had however, many difficulties to overcome, hemmed
in as they were by stormy seas along the narrow strip of coast
line where they lived in great communal wooden houses, with a
background of dense forests and steep mountain ranges. For all
their daily needs as well as their artistic output they had to
rely upon such substances as stone, bone, ivory, wood, horn and
a forn of slate found only on Queen Charlotte Islands. Paints
were used very sparingly for decorative purposes. Colours were
confined to black, dull red, a copperish blue which turned dark
green on exposure and pale yellow. The usual sources were cer-
tain ochrous earths or copperish clay, fungi, burnt clam shells
and charcoal, combined with salmon oil. For polish, shark's or
dog-fish skin or their own bare hands were used. Fach man had
to collect, test and prepare his own materials and solve his own
problems.

Nevertheless these men pecked, incised, sculptured,
carved, moulded, inlaid and painted wellnigh every possession
whether the bow of a war canoe, the wooden pail which carried
water, domestic utensils, fishing equipment, armour, and the
elaborate paraphernalia associated with ceremonial celebrations.
These last included Chief's headdresses (the fine carving often
completed with inlays of iridescent abalons shell) and richly
carved batons, also shamans! rattles, exquisitely moulded horn
dishes and spoons, polished ivory charms and, greatest triumph
of all their skills, ceremonial and portrait masks. Decorated
chests stored possessions; sculptured posts Supported weighty
roof beams and recorded the crests or mythical ancestry of chiefs
on memorial or, in later times, on totem or heraldic poles.
(These last, by the way, were long preceded by huge Housefront
paintings, measuring 30 feet by 20 or even more.)

Conditions and customs contributory to the subject matter of the

Northwest Coast Indian arts and crafts.

Ethnologists agree that it is impossible to understand the
art of the Northwest Pacific Coast natives apart. from some in-
Sight into the structure of their culture. The whole existence
of these people revolved round their intricate and varied social
and religious organization. This was based on wealth, rank and
social standing; it permeated every detail of their lives from
cradle to grave and interwoven therewith were unusually binding
ties of kinship and tribal obligations.

No form of idolatry existed, though the "Great Spirit" was
the prevailing object of worship. In some tribes he was repre-
Sented by the Sun or the Moon. Prayers and the first fruits of
sea food or the products of hunting or berries in their season

suas