ABSTRACT
The west coast of North America is a segment of the Pacific Rim. Its history reflects its connections to Asia, connections not yet well charted but evidenced by such items as iron knives used for many centuries before European contacts. Classic Northwest Coast cultures are primarily in British Columbia but extend into southeast Alaska and into the states of Washington and Oregon. Most of coastal Alaska, and the Aleutians, have been occupied by communities hunting sea mammals and fishing with sophisticated technology, while interior Alaskan nations depend on land hunting and stream fishing in an environment that can support only very low population densities. In contrast, California had one of the highest population densities in aboriginal America, supported by rich marine resources coupled with land game, nut orchards, and fields of sown indigenous seed grasses. Great as the differences are, trade linked region to region, and the coastal and Western Cordillera mountain chains limited contacts or movements eastward into the heart of the continent.
