Native American Landscapes in the Plains and Northwest Coast

Abstract

This chapter compares the well-documented historic landscapes of the Plains Indians and Northwest Coast Indians with the contemporary landscape in which only highly selective elements of their former material cultures are visible. The chapter summarizes the contemporary pattern of Native American population within most of the western United States. It explains that large areas of land were incorporated into Indian Reservations in Oklahoma (Indian Territory) and the other Plains states and it looks at the landscapes of poverty that have evolved on many of these reservations. The historical cultural landscape in the Plains is seen both through ruins of earth lodges, tepee rings, and sacred sites, some of which feature prominently in contemporary disputes. The contemporary Native American landscape in parts of the Pacific Northwest has incorporated certain historical features, but the generic American landscape dominates. This chapter briefly contrasts the status of Alaskan Natives (Indians, Inuits, and Aleuts) with Native Americans elsewhere in the nation, noting that in much of the 49th State Native Americans dominate the landscape.