The Native American peoples of the Northwest Coast had abundant and reliable supplies of salmon and other fish, sea mammals, shellfish, birds, and a variety of wild plant foods. Most groups built villages near waterways or the coast. The principal fishing sites were along rivers and streams in which salmon ran in the fall. In the spring, herring spawned in coves and candlefish entered certain rivers. People went to sea to hunt marine mammals and to fish for offshore species such as halibut. Each village also had rights to an upland territory from which the residents could obtain terrestrial foods.
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