Native Culture
Native Sovereignty
Native Survival
WA Geography
WA Fun Facts
100

What are the large wooden posts carved with figures that tell family stories or legends called?

Totem Poles

100

What does “sovereignty” mean for Native tribes?

The right to govern themselves

100

What was the most important fish to many tribes’ survival in Washington?

Salmon

100

What mountain range runs north–south through the center of Washington?

Cascade Range

100

What city is Washington’s state capital?

Olympia

200

What type of homes did Coastal tribes like the Makah and Coast Salish people traditionally live in?

Longhouses

200

What was the name of the 1855 treaty where many tribes in eastern Washington gave up land to the U.S. government?

Treaty of Walla Walla

200

How did Plateau tribes adapt to their drier environment compared to Coastal tribes?

They were more mobile and lived in temporary homes like tule mat lodges.

200

What river forms most of Washington’s southern border with Oregon?

Columbia River

200

What year did Washington become a state?

1889

300

What was one common method Plateau tribes used to catch salmon?

Fish traps or spears

300

Who was the Yakama leader who resisted signing unfair treaties with the U.S. government?

Chief Kamiakin

300

During the winter, how did Coastal tribes preserve food to survive until spring?

They smoked or dried fish and berries

300

What is the name of the only national park located entirely on the Olympic Peninsula?

Olympic National Park

300

What famous tech company was founded in Seattle in 1975?

Microsoft

400

What is the term for a ceremonial feast held by tribes to celebrate important events and show wealth?

Potlatch

400

What is the term for land that belongs to a tribe and is recognized by the U.S. government as their own nation?

Reservation

400

What event in the mid-1800s forced many Native people to move off their land?

The Indian Removal or Reservation system after treaties

400

What side of Washington is wetter — the west or the east?

The west

400

What Seattle landmark was built for the 1962 World’s Fair?

The Space Needle

500

Name two major language groups spoken by Native peoples in Washington before European contact.

Salish and Sahaptin (or Chinookan)

500

What court case in 1974 reaffirmed Washington tribes’ rights to half the state’s salmon catch?

The Boldt Decision

500

How have modern tribes in Washington ensured economic survival in recent decades?

By building enterprises like casinos, fishing businesses, and tourism

500

What massive ancient floods helped shape the landscape of eastern Washington?

The Missoula Floods

500

What Washington-born musician is often called one of the greatest guitarists of all time?

Jimi Hendrix