North Cascades

PEOPLE OF THE NORTH CASCADES

Native people of the North Cascades were hunters, fishers and gatherers who lived in a severe and changing environment. Home | Next>

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

The lives of the Native people of the North Cascades were closely tied to the natural environment and vulnerable to changes in the abundance or scarcity of the resources they depended upon.

The Native people lived for thousands of years in the mountain environment. They were intimately acquainted with the land -- trees, plants, animals, rivers and peaks -- all of which had names and meaning. The mountain world was their home, supplying their needs for food and shelter and providing a base for their culture. Native American interactions with the environment were flexible and adaptable to rapidly changing conditions. They used the various mountain areas for different purposes at different seasons as food-gathering and settlement needs required.