“They Recognize No Superior Chief”: Power, Practice, Anarchism and Warfare in the Coast Salish Past PDF

This inquiry focuses on warfare in the Coast Salish past. Located in the Northwest Coast of North America, the Coast Salish practiced warfare as a basic component of their culture, and warfare manifested in two main periods. Archaeologically, fortified defensive sites were constructed from 1600 to 500 BP. According to ethnohistoric documents and oral histories, conflicts also erupted in the decades after Euroamerican contact, about AD 1790. For this study, I incorporate archaeological, ethnographic, ethnohistoric, and oral historical data for an investigation of warfare, including Coast Salish practices, protocols, and ideology. I assess the types of settings in which warfare occurred and evaluate the motivations for conflict. Finally, Iexamine these practices for insights into Coast Salish sociopolitical organization and how it altered through time.

To view PDF:

They_Recognize_No_Superior_Chief_Power