As this pioneering account shows, the history of the Northwest Coast stretches back some 11,000 years to the time of first settlement. With the stabilization of sea levels and salmon runs after 4000 BC, many of the region's salient features began to emerge. Salmon fishing supported rapid population growth to a peak over 1,000 years ago. The spread of rainforest made available trees such as red cedar that could be turned into vast houses and seaworthy canoes. Large households and permanent villages emerged alongside slavery and a hereditary nobility. Warfare became endemic, initially hand to hand, but later characterized by the development of fortresses and the bow and arrow. Art evolved from simple carvings and geometric designs 5,000 years ago to the specialized crafts of the modern era. Each of these topics is treated independently, in major thematic chapters, leading up to a concluding synthesis. Peoples of the Northwest Coast will appeal to scholars and students of Native American archaeology and anthropology as well as travellers to the region.