Plank Houses of the Pacific Northwest Coast: Communal Living Under One Roof

The Kwakwakaʼwakw, Haida Nation, and Chinook Indian Nation of the Pacific Northwest Coast built large communal wooden dwellings known as plank houses or clan houses, primarily from western red cedar. These structures, organized around a square or rectangular plan, housed multiple families from the same lineage, each with a subdivided area and cooking fire around a shared hearth. Construction involved digging a shallow pit, erecting vertical posts, and attaching split cedar planks for walls, with roofs featuring smoke holes. Spatial organization reflected social hierarchy and ceremonial functions, hosting midwinter rituals, dances, and potlatches where chiefs reinforced status and political authority. Plank houses were permanent winter villages; summer brought seasonal shelters for fishing and hunting. Carved and painted façades expressed prestige, family histories, and supernatural connections. The oldest known village site is at Kitselas Canyon, Paul Mason Site in British Columbia, dating back approximately 3,000 years. Today, some communities still use plank houses for ceremonial and communal activities.