American Indian Culture and Research Journal

The first European to meet and trade with the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest Coast was the Spaniard Juan Perez, in July, 1774. He was followed four years later by the famed British explorer James Cook. From the beginning of this contact, Euro-American explorers and traders have noted and commented upon the readiness of Native Americans to acquire those non-native objects and goods which enhanced and expanded their traditional lifestyle. Shrewd traders, they obtained from the Euro-Americans iron, blankets and other materials which they incorporated into an already rich and elaborate culture. It is interesting to note that the Euro-American components although by far the most significant, was not the only culture with which these Northwest people came in contact nor the only source from which new objects were introduced. Evidence suggests that prior to Euro-American contact, the wreckage of Japanese vessels drifted on prevailing currents to the Northwest Coast some even with surviving crew members. As early as 1788, if not before that date, Polynesian people and material culture were known to at least some Native Americans and had begun physically to reach the Northwest Coast of North America. Although not a major influence on the development of Northwest Coast culture and history, the Polynesian presence has left its mark in a number of rather intriguing artifacts of Polynesian origin or derivation used or found on the Northwest Coast. A discussion of the historical background will precede a survey of a few examples of such objects, and one possible instance of the reverse phenomenon.