First Peoples Connections

first peoples knowledge on the octopus. It was reported to be a part of the diet of the northwest coast indigenous peoples including the Makah, Quileute, Coast Salish, Manhousat, Nootka, kwakuiti, Nuxalk, Haihais, Bella, Oowekeeno and southeast Alaskan cultures. Octopus provided the Makah with a reliable food source and fish bait . The Quileute used them to a for more, often collecting them during fishing expeditions.The Coast Salish considered octopus a delicacy. The Nootka, Southern Kwakiutl, and Nuxalk collected octopus throughout the year but their concentration varied a lot. The Manhousat only ate them occasionally given that they believed that hunting octopus was very dangerous . The Southeastern Alaskans ate small octopuses and used the larger ones as bait. for other things.

Harvesting

Octopus was found under rocks in shallow water and could be easily located by searching for discarded crab or clam shells . They were usually caught with a two-pronged spear and sometimes two spears were used, one to poke the animal and entice it to leave its den and the other to stab it. They had to be lured out of the den as they are difficult to drag out. They were also gathered from the beach by women and carried back in cedar baskets 

Uses other than food

octopus legs were often used as bait to catch large fish, particularly halibut, cod, and shark. A piece of the tentacle was split lengthwise, attached to a hook, and sheared to resemble a small fish. In the past, the Manhousat used octopus skin to heal burns