This portion of our guide to American Indians covers the Makah people.
The Makah people are an Indigenous tribe of the Pacific Northwest, living in Washington State. They are the only Native American tribe with the legal right to hunt whales.
According to the oral history of the Makah, the tribe has a long history of whaling, although they have had to stop and start again several times. The last time they stopped was in the 1920s when there were not enough humpback or gray whales left due to overhunting by the commercial whaling industry.
They started again in 1999 when the gray whale was removed from the Endangered Species List, and they hunted one successfully on May 17. By federal law, the Makah have the legal right to hunt and kill one whale, usually a gray whale, every year. In the past, they also hunted humpback whales. Traditionally, the Makah men used cedar canoes that could fit six to nine people, and they used harpoons that were 16-18 feet long, made of two pieces of yew wood joined together, with a mussel shell tip and elkhorn barbs. After the whale was killed, one of the crew members would dive into the water and cut a hole into the whale's jaw, where they would attach a tow line and a float, and then they would tow the whale to shore.
In the Makah language, they are known as the qʷidiččaʔa·tx̌, which roughly translates to "the people who live by the rocks and seagulls." This is sometimes anglicized as Kwih-dich-chuh-ahtx. The English name Makah is an anglicized version of the S'Klallam name for them, màq̓áʔa, which means "generous with food."
As the Makah acquired much of their food from the ocean, their diet included whale, seal, fish, and a wide variety of shellfish, although they would also hunt deer, elk, and bear in the inland forests. Women gathered nuts, berries, roots, and other edible plants.
The Makah are believed to have occupied the area of what is now Neah Bay for more than 3,800 years. They lived in villages of large longhouses made of western red cedar. Cedar trees were important to the Makah, as whole trees were carved out to make whaling canoes, and its bark was used to produce water-resistant clothing, while the roots were used in basket weaving.
In 1855, representatives of the Makah selected by the U.S. government signed the Treaty of Neah Bay, which ceded much of their traditional homelands, restricting the Makah to a reservation in Clallam County, but preserving the tribe's rights to hunt whales and seals in the region. The Makah language was not used during negotiations, and the S'Klallam name for the tribe was used rather than their own.
In 1936, the Makah Tribe signed the Makah Constitution, accepting the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and establishing an elected tribal government.
Today, most tribal members still derive much of their income from fishing. The Makah fish for halibut, salmon, Pacific whiting, and other marine fish.
The traditional Makah language (qʷi·qʷi·diččaq) has been extinct as a first language since its last fluent native speaker died in 2002, but it does survive as a second language. The tribe has established preschool classes to teach the language to their children.
The Makah Indian Reservation is situated on the northwest tip of the Olympic Peninsula and Tatoosh Island. They live in and around the town of Neah Bay, which is a small fishing village.
Recommended Resources
This Neah Bay Resort is one of two Tribal Enterprise businesses that host accommodations for guests visiting Neah Bay, Washington, on the Makah Reservation. Centrally located downtown, close to shopping, restaurants, and the Makah Marina, Neah Bay is ideal for surfing, hiking, birding, kayaking, fishing, and several other outdoor adventures. Rental cabins, a bunkhouse, recreational vehicle spaces, and tent camping spaces are available. Contacts are posted.
https://cape-resort.com/
The resort is situated on the west end of Makah Reservation, at the end of Highway 112, in Neah Bay, Washington. The facilities include North and South cabins, a meadow for tent or dry camping, and full hook-up sites for recreational vehicles. The resort is divided into two portions along Hobuck Beach, with space for 300 tent campers and 10 cabins at the north end and another 16 cabins and 10 RV sites at the south end. RV and tent sites are first-come, first-served, with reservations for cabins.
https://hobuckbeachresort.com/
Situated on the Makah Tribe reservation, the inn is available for visitors. Built high to take advantage of water views, a flight of stairs takes you to the ground floor, and there are additional rooms on the second floor. The inn includes a shared kitchen, dining area, and family room, with a restroom on the second floor, as well as a small pantry and a guest laundry on the second floor. Several photos depict guest rooms, common rooms, and the exterior. Reservations may be booked online.
https://innatneahbay.com/
At some point before Europeans came to North America, a mudslide buried a Makah village known as Ozette, burying six longhouses and their contents in mud. In the winter of 1969-70, a storm caused the bank at the Ozette village location to slump, exposing perfectly preserved wooden artifacts, with more to come during an 11-year excavation project. The Makah Museum interprets and houses hundreds of these 300-500-year-old artifacts, along with other historic and replica pieces and photos.
https://makahmuseum.com/
The official website for the Makah Tribe offers a brief introduction to the tribe, with a more detailed history, its whaling and canoeing traditions, and a guide to tribal attractions, places to stay, places to eat, shopping venues on or near the reservation, as well as directions. Camping is permitted near the beach or on trails, although a recreation permit is required. Tribal governance and contacts are provided, along with a program directory, employment opportunities, and legal notices.
https://makah.com/
Situated on the Makah Tribe reservation, the year-round campground has space for recreational vehicles, motorhomes, cabins, and tent sites, with walkthrough beach access to Neah Bay. Other features include walk-in showers and portable restrooms for paid campers only, and 50, 30, and 20-amp electrical hookups are available. Recreational use permits are required. Park rules and rates are posted on the site. Reservations are by telephone only, and the telephone number is posted on the site.
https://neahbayhideaway.com/
