Quileute Tribe

I heard about the Quileute tribe from the movie TWILIGHT. It is a real tribe and I decided to write about it. I was happy to learn more about them. Here goes.

The Quileute tribe are a Native American people in West Washington state in the United States. They settled into the Quileute Indian Reservation after signing the Quinault Treaty in 1855. It is located near the southwest corner of Clallam County, Washington at the mouth of the Quillayute River on the Pacific coast. They are located in the community of La Push, Washington. They have their own government.

The Quileute relied on fishing from local rivers and the Pacific Ocean. They built plank houses to protect themselves from the harsh, wet winters west of the Cascade Mountains.They were also once great whalers. I hate the idea of whale hunting but I know people needed whales for food and other things years ago.

The Quileutes were excellent boat makers. They built canoes for whaling which could tons pf cargo and many men. They built canoes that are shaped like Clipper Ship's hull's design. I always thought Native American built small boats only. They used resources from the land to make tools and other items. They made woven baskets and dog hair blankets. They bred woolly dogs for their hair which they could spin into the blankets. They even made water proof skirts and hats to shield themselves against the rain.

The Quileute People were spiritual people. The boys would go on quests to find their supernatural powers. {Like in TWILIGHT, Quileute men became werewolves in their teens!}. They would perform a salmon ceremony to ensure a good season.

They believed each person had their own guardian and they prayed to it as well as the sun. James Island was used as a fortress to keep opposing tribes out and served as a burial ground for their dead.

The Quileute language could express ideas rather then words. The language has long words and has no "m" or "n" in phonemes. Elders still speak the language and The Quileute Tribal School still teaches the language.

In 1775, the Quileutes took a Spanish ship and made the passengers into slaves. They were considered hostile. This happened with a British ship in 1787 and in 1808 with a Russian ship. Americans and Quileute tribes signed the Treaty Of Olympia in 1855. The Quileutes feed the slaves and some of their possessions like land was taken away. A.W Smith made a school and taught Quileute children. They became the La Push Reservation. The Quileute Tribe still thrives in La Push Washington.

The part that intrigues me. In the TWILIGHT series by Stephanie Myer, some members of the Quileute tribe can change into wolves and are werewolves. They are enemies of the vampire, mainly the Cullen family. The Quileute members are: Jacob Black, Billy Black{Jacob's father}, Sam Uley, Leah and Seth Clearwater, Quil Atears and Embry Call. The Quileute Tribe will become popular from the TWILIGHT movies and books I am sure.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this as much as I like writing this.