Nootka (Nuu-chah-nulth)

The native peoples inhabiting part of the coast of Vancouver Island were called the Nootka by Captain James Cook when he explored this area in the 1778. The name has come to represent several native groups in the area who speak a similar language, although it was not a name they used themselves. They inhabited a rugged coast backed by mountains. The area was plentiful in seafood (whales, sea lions, seals, halibut, salmon, and shellfish) and land wildlife (deer, elk, and bear). They often moved to temporary bases in summer or at other times to take advantage of seasonal food resources. Red cedar wood was a critical resource because of its strength and resistance to rot. It was used for large dugout canoes and for construction of plank houses. Cedar roots and bark were crafted into hats, ropes, mats, and clothes. Everything they made was a work of art, decorated with designs and animal depictions from their stories and myths. In 1785 Europeans and Americans began coming to the area for sea otter furs, which peaked at a price of $4,000 per pelt. The fur trade lasted barely 20 years, until the otter was extinct along the coast, but new white settlers were coming for other resources.

From the game's History encyclopedia, AoE3: DE 100.19.18309.