NORTH PACIFIC COAST INDIANS. The Indians of the coast of southern Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Ore gon and northern California form a unit which has been recog nized as distinct from other natives of North America. The principal tribes and stocks comprised are the Tlingit, Haida, Tsim shian, Kwakiutl, Nutka, Bella Coola and other Coast Salish, Chimakun, Makah, Chinook, Yakonan, Kus, Takelma, Yurok, Wiyot, Karok and the Hupa and other Athabascan groups. There is linguistic diversity, but the area lacks the usual Mexican fea tures: agriculture, pottery, metallurgy, axes, shields, drums, sweat houses, political organization, religious structures and altars, group fetiches. Cultural stimulus has been derived from the backward tribes of north-east Asia, rather than from China and Japan. The culture is vigorously local and therefore complex. It is characterized by the following generic traits : dependence pri marily on fish, especially salmon ; coastal maritime navigation; development of wood working, including the carver's art; wealth accumulation, with an elaborate system of economic exchange and property law ; the organization of society on the basis of heredi tary rank dependent on economic status; religious cults heavily influenced by proprietary rights. Particular traits exemplifying these trends are : deep-sea fishing ; whale hunting ; large dug-out canoes with plank lashings for higher freeboard; mat sails; cloth ing largely of mats, with basketry hats; twined basketry with overlay decoration ; villages of large, all-frame houses facing the beach or a river; totem poles and wooden grave monuments; boxes for cooking, storage, etc. ; clubs, spoons, and most utensils, also rattles, masks, etc., elaborately carved or painted in a peculiar totemic-symbolic art style; dentalium shells, plates of native cop per, boxes, etc., serving as standardized media of exchange, often
with high fictitious credit values ; potlatches or competitive socio religious festivals with wealth distribution for prestige ; loans with high rate of interest ; division of society into rich nobles with titles, crests and privileges, commoners and slaves ; marriage by purchase; secret religious societies with elaborate ranks and masks. The secret societies extend south to Juan de Fuca, the potlatch to Columbia river ; the basic elements of the culture— canoes, frame houses, dentalia, wealth display and ranking, slavery —persist as far as northern California.
See P. E. Goddard, "Indians of the Northwest" (Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 1924) ; also Monographs by F. Boas, G. M. Dawson, M. Eells, G. T. Emmonds, G. Gibbs, P. E. Goddard, E. Gunther, C. Hill-Tout, G. Hunt, A. Krause, A. L. Kroeber, A. B. Lewis, T. F. Mcllwraith, C. F. Newcombe, A. P. Niblack, E. Sapir, G. M. Sproat, J. G. Swan, J. R. Swanton, G. Vancouver and T. T. Waterman. (A. L. K.) NORTH PLATTE, a city of Nebraska, U.S.A., 28o m. W. of Omaha. It is on the Lincoln highway, the main transcontinental airway, and the main line of the Union Pacific railroad. The population was 10,466 in 1920, 85% native white, and was 12,061 (1930, U.S. census). The city has one of the largest icing plants in the country. The irrigated region raises sugar beet and hay. There is a station of the U.S. Weather Bureau and a State agricultural experiment station 4 m. S. "Scouts Rest," the ranch of Colonel W. F. Cody ("Buffalo Bill") is 3 m. N.W. North Platte was incorporated in 1871.