Makah
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. – Information Copyright 2003 MCRC Home Page [1]
Contents
History & Culture
- Learn about the Makah [2]
- Makah Tribe History and More [3]
- Makah Museum [4]
- The Makah Cultural and Research Center includes the world renowned Makah Museum, as well as the Museum store, Makah Language Program, Archives and Library Department, Makah Education Department, and Tribal Historic Preservation Office.
- Library Archives [5]
- Ozette Archaeological Site [6]
- Hours & Admission [7]
