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{{Short description|Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{About|the Native American ethnic group|the Bantu ethnic group in Cameroon|Makaa people|other uses|}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
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| population = 1,213
| popplace = United States ([[Washington (state)|Washington]])
| rels = [[Christianity]], incl. [[Syncretism
| langs = [[English language|English]], [[Makah language|Makah]] (survives as a second language)
| related = [[Nuu-chah-nulth]], [[Ditidaht]]
}}
The '''Makah''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|k|ɑː}}; [[Makah language|Makah]]: ''{{lang|myh|qʷidiččaʔa·tx̌}}'') are an [[Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast|Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast]] living in [[Washington (state)|Washington]], in the northwestern part of the [[continental United States]]. They are enrolled in the [[Federally recognized tribe|federally recognized]] Makah Indian Tribe of the [[Makah Indian Reservation]], commonly known as the Makah Tribe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Neah Bay, Washington: Welcome |url=https://makah.com/ |access-date=
Linguistically and ethnographically, they are closely related to the [[Nuu-chah-nulth]] and [[Ditidaht]] peoples of the [[Vancouver Island|West Coast of Vancouver Island]], who live across the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]] in [[British Columbia]], Canada.
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===Japanese castaways===
In 1834, a dismasted, rudderless ship from Japan ran aground near [[Cape Flattery]]. The Makah took the three survivors of the broken ship and held them as slaves for several months before taking them to [[Fort Vancouver]]. From there, the United States transported them by ship to London and eventually China, but they never reached Japan again.<ref name="historylink">{{cite web | last=Tate | first=Cassandra | title = HistoryLink: Japanese Castaways of 1834: The Three Kichis | url = http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9065 | date =
===Treaty of Neah Bay===
[[File:MakahIndians.jpg|thumb|right|299px|A Makah settlement, c. 1900]]
On January 31, 1855, government-selected Makah representatives signed the Treaty of Neah Bay with the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. federal government]], ceding much of their traditional lands. The treaty required the Makah to be restricted to the [[Makah Reservation]] (at {{coord|48|19|20|N|124|37|57|W}} in Clallam County), banned slavery, and preserved the Makah people's rights to hunt whales and seals in the region.<ref>[http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=2632 History Link - Treaty of Neah Bay]</ref> The Makah language was not used during the negotiation of the treaty, and the government used the S'Klallam-language name to refer to the tribe, rather than the Makah-language endoynm.
===Ozette village===
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In the early 17th century, a [[mudslide]] engulfed part of a Makah village near [[Lake Ozette]]. The oral history of the Makah mentions a "great slide" which engulfed a portion of Ozette long ago. The mudslide preserved several houses and their contents in a collapsed state until the 1970s, when they were excavated by the Makah and archaeologists from [[Washington State University]]. Over 55,000 artifacts were recovered, representing many activities of the Makah, from whale and seal hunting to salmon and halibut fishing. Artifacts included toys, games, and bows and arrows.
Archaeological test pits were excavated at the Ozette site in 1966 and 1967 by Richard Daugherty.<ref>[http://daphne.palomar.edu/ais130/site_2.htm Ozette overview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713213602/http://daphne.palomar.edu/ais130/site_2.htm|date=
It produced more than 55,000 artifacts, many of which are on display in the [http://www.makah.com/mcrchome.html Makah Cultural and Research Center]. Opened in 1979, the museum displays replicas of cedar long houses as well as whaling, fishing, and sealing canoes.<ref>Steury, Tim. [http://wsm.wsu.edu/stories/2008/May/779.html "A Dialogue with the Past: Modern Archaeology in the Pacific Northwest and What We Are"], ''Washington State Magazine.''</ref>
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Historically, the structure of Makah society is a class system; people in the middle or lower classes could gain better social status by marrying into the upper levels. The community was in mostly a [[cognatic kinship|cognatic descent]] structure.<ref name="Gale">{{Cite book |title=UXL encyclopedia of native American tribes |date=2012 |publisher=Gale |others=Edwards, Laurie J. |isbn=9781414490984 |edition=3rd |location=Detroit |oclc=793806804}}</ref>
[[File:MakahWoman.jpg|thumb|A Makah woman, c. 1900]]
The Makah traditional family consisted of parents and children living in a particular area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Indians of the Pacific Northwest Collection |url=http://content.lib.washington.edu/aipnw/renker.html |access-date=July 1, 2019
=== Whaling ===
Makah [[oral tradition|oral history]] relates that their tradition of [[aboriginal whaling]] has been suspended and re-established several times. Most recently, the practice was suspended in the 1920s because the commercial [[whaling]] industry had depleted the stocks of [[Humpback whale|humpback]] and [[gray whale]]s; all hunting was called off.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Anguiano |first=Dani |date=2024-06-13 |title=Native American tribe wins right to hunt gray whales off Washington coast |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/13/gray-whale-hunt-makah-tribe-washington |access-date=2024-06-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
After the gray whale was removed from the [[List of endangered species in the US|Endangered Species List]], the Makah re-asserted their whaling rights. With the support and guidance of the United States government and the [[International Whaling Commission]], the Makah successfully hunted a [[gray whale]] on May 17, 1999. According to federal law, the Makah are entitled to hunt and kill one [[baleen]] whale, typically a gray whale, each year. Archaeological records and oral history indicate a significant number of [[humpback whale]]s were historically hunted as well. The Makah had gone over 70 years without catching a whale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Makah Whaling & Whale Hunt - Makah Tribe (Neah Bay, Washington) |url=http://makah.com/makah-tribal-info/whaling/}}</ref>
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The Makah whaling technique is difficult and labor-intensive. The men hunt from [[Cedrus|cedar]] [[canoe]]s, each seating six to nine people and more recently, from small fishing vessels. They take these into the [[Pacific Ocean]] adjacent to their reservation territory. Various traditional criteria are used to determine the best whale to harvest. By counting the whale's exhalations, the hunters determine when the whale is about to dive, and determine from this the best time to strike. Approaching the whale's left side, the hunter strikes when the whale is 3–4 feet deep, to avoid the force of the whale's tail. The [[harpoon]] is 16–18 feet long, composed of two pieces of [[taxus|yew]] wood spliced together. Historically, hunters used a [[mussel]] shell tip, in conjunction with barbs from [[elk]] horns.
Since the late 20th century, hunters have used a steel "yankee style" head, but they have retained the yew wood shaft because of its flexibility, water resistance, and strength. Held fast to the whale, the harpoon shaft comes loose, to be recovered later, and a line is thrown from the canoe with seal skin floats attached, to provide drag to weaken the whale. In the past, a series of smaller lances were used to repeatedly strike the whale, gradually weakening and killing it, often over a period of hours, and in some cases, days. Recently, hunters have adopted use of a big
Once the whale has been killed, a crew member called the "diver" jumps into the water and cuts a hole through the bottom and top of the whale's jaw, to which a tow line and float are attached. This holds the whale's mouth shut and prevents the carcass from filling with water and sinking. Hunters tow the whale to shore, where it is received by members of the village.
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Traditional ceremonies and songs are performed to welcome the whale's spirit. Following this, the whale is divided in a precise and traditional fashion, with certain families having ownership of particular cuts. The "saddle piece" located midway between the center of the back and the tail is the property of the harpooner. It is taken to his home where a special ceremony is performed. The meat and oil are distributed to community members, and a great deal of it is consumed during a [[potlatch]].
The Makah assert that their right to whaling is guaranteed in the 1855 Treaty of Neah Bay, which states in part: "The right of taking fish and of whaling or sealing at usual and accustomed grounds and stations is further secured to said Indians in common with all citizens of the United States."<ref>[http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Marine-Mammals/Whales-Dolphins-Porpoise/Gray-Whales/Makah-Whale-Hunt.cfm Makah Whale Hunt | NWR website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207110406/http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Marine-Mammals/Whales-Dolphins-Porpoise/Gray-Whales/Makah-Whale-Hunt.cfm|date=February 7, 2012
===[[Ethnobotany]]===
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The Makah Tribe hosts its annual major public gathering, [https://makah.com/activities/makah-days/ Makah Days], in late August. It features a grand parade and street fair as well as canoe races, traditional games, singing, dancing, feasting, and fireworks.
Many Makah tribal members derive most of their income from fishing. Makah fish for [[Pacific salmon|salmon]], [[Pacific halibut|halibut]], [[Pacific whiting]], and other marine fish. This makes them particularly vulnerable to effects of [[global warming]]: [[ocean acidification]] disrupts the development of the shells of [[molluscs]] (the fishes' main food source) and warming waters the [[salmon run]]. In response, the Makah tribe is drawing on traditional knowledge to create action plans for [[climate resilience]] that center tribal socioeconomic priorities. With the [[Hoh]], [[Quileute]], and [[Quinault Indian Nation]], as well as the scientific community, the Makah conduct climate research at and monitor the [[Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary]].<ref name="Matsumoto 2022">{{cite web |last1=Matsumoto |first1=Kendall |date=February 2022 |title=Meeting the Challenge of Climate Change: A Makah Tribal Leader Seeks Solutions to an Ocean Out of Balance |url=https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/feb22/makah-ocean-out-of-balance.html |access-date=March 6, 2022
==Language==
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Makah linguistically belongs to the Southern Nootkan branch of the [[Wakashan languages|Wakashan]] family of languages. It is also the only Wakashan language in the United States. Other tribes speaking Wakashan are located in [[British Columbia]], Canada, immediately across the [[Strait of Juan de Fuca]] on the west coast of [[Vancouver Island]], and northwards as far as that province's [[British Columbia Coast|Central Coast]] region.
Makah has been extinct as a [[first language]] since 2002, when its last fluent native speaker died. However, it survives as a second language. The Makah Tribe is also working to revive the language, and has established preschool classes to teach its children.<ref>[http://www.native-languages.org/makah.htm Makah Language and the Makah Indian Tribe (Kweedishchaaht, Kweneecheeaht, Macaw, Classet, Klasset)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.makah.com/language.htm |title=Our Language<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=
==Reservation==
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==See also==
* [[Bob Greene (Makah)]]
* [[Nuu-chah-nulth|Nuu-chah-nulth people]]▼
* [[Ditidaht First Nation|Ditidaht people]]
* [[Hoh|Hoh people]]
▲* [[Nuu-chah-nulth|Nuu-chah-nulth people]]
* [[Robert T. Paine (zoologist)]]
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