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Stretching 2000 miles from northern California to the Alaskan panhandle, the Pacific Northwest Coast was originally home to more than 70 distinct tribes, speaking languages
from four different linguistic families (Athabaskan, Penutian, Salish and Wakashan). Despite the great diversity of Northwestern Indian tribes, the artwork of the whole
region has a distinctive style, due in part to the extensive coastal trading networks in place long before Europeans arrived.
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Each Northwest Indian nation has its own
characteristic designs, of course, and those familiar with native Pacific Northwest art can tell what tribe or even what village a piece came from at a glance.
But Northwest Indian art forms have not only survived in art history books, they also remain as thriving, unbroken artistic traditions of the native people who first
created them.
Arts and crafts Northwest Indian artists are best known for include basketry
(including distinctive basket hats and capes), intricate woodcarving (especially
ceremonial masks and majestic totem poles),
and weavings (including the unusual Chilkat blankets). The bold, stylized designs of traditional Northwest Coast art
also lend themselves well to newer art forms like painting or jewelry, and many Northwestern artists have used these media to bring their traditions to a wider audience.
You can learn more about the history of each of these art forms at the links above.
If you're looking for arts and crafts that were actually made by Native Americans of the
Northwest Coast, either because it's important to you to have the real thing or because you want to support native people with your purchase, then here is our list
of native artists whose work is available online. If you have a website of native art to add to this list, let us know.
We gladly advertise any individual native artist or native-owned art store here free of charge, provided that all arts and crafts are made by tribally
recognized American Indian, Inuit, or First Nations artists.
Thank you for your interest in Native American art!
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![]() First Nations-owned arts and crafts shop offers a stunning array of jewelry, carvings, weavings, and other Northwest Coast Indian art. |
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![]() Haida-owned art gallery featuring Pacific Northwest masks, weavings, carvings, and fashion designs. |
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![]() Traditional Northwest Indian robes of cedar bark, merino wool and yarn, woven by a Tlingit artist. |
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![]() This Native Alaskan organization sells rectangular Pendleton blankets printed with Chilkat blanket designs. |
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![]() Heavy woolen sweaters in the traditional Northwest Coast designs of British Columbia. |
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![]() Fine leather jackets painted with Northwest Indian designs, from a Spokane Indian fashion designer. |
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Totem poles are an art form unique to the Northwest Indians. Visit our Totem Pole gallery to see some of them. |
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Looking at Indian Art of the Northwest Coast | A World of Faces: Masks of the Northwest Coast Indians | Spruce Root Basketry of the Haida and Tlingit | The Chilkat Dancing Blanket |
An overview of Northwestern Indian art, designs and symbolism. Photographs and sketches. | History and photographs of ceremonial Pacific Northwest native mask art. | Photography and descriptions of Northwest Indian baskets and basket garments. | History and tradition of Chilkat Indian blankets, with photographs. |
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Totem Poles of the Pacific Northwest Coast | Looking at Totem Poles | Totem Pole |
Illustrated encyclopedia of different totem pole figures, techniques, and styles. | A guidebook to 110 historic totem poles that can be seen raised throughout British Columbia and Alaska, with photos, background and travel information. | A nice children's book about a Tsimshian boy whose father is a totem pole carver. With color photographs. |
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