Abstract

There is considerable archaeological evidence for the widespread distribution and use of metal on the Northwest Coast. Despite this, the contemporary literature is relatively silent on the possibility for incipient metallurgy within the region. What is clear, based on both early historical records and surviving ethnographic specimens, is that First Nation peoples had remarkable knowledge of and skill in metal working from the outset of culture contact. This paper reviews some of the evidence for metal use on the Northwest Coast, including an unusual specimen from the southern Queen Charlotte Islands, and implications for the existence of a metal working tradition prior to historical contact.