The Quileute are a Native American tribe who live in western Washington. The Quileute Reservation, which was formed in 1855, is located on mouth of the Quillayute River in La Push, Washington. The Quileutes are the most ancient of the Pacific Northwest tribes. Their dialect is part of the Chimakuan language family. They are a small tribe, only about 750 people claim to be Quileutes, and of those only 371 actually live on the Quileute Reservation. They have their own government and Tribal council.
A Fishing and Hunting Tribe
The Quileutes mostly depend upon the sea for their livelihood. They once hunted whale and seal and were master boatmakers. In current times, they fish for salmon and also hunt deer and elk. The Quileutes lived in extended families in wooden homes called longhouses, each of who had it’s own leader. Unlike many Native American tribes, who believe land cannot be "owned," the Quileutes believe in the possession of property, and in ownership of individual fishing rights and land rights.
Customs and Spiritual Beliefs
The Quileutes practiced customs such as head flattening, where a newborn's head was shaped by being bound to a flat cradle board. Tattooin was also a common practice. Like many Native American tribes, the Quileutes believed in supernatural powers. They had shamans and healers and Quileute youths went on spiritual vision quests. They also participated in annual rituals such as the salmon ceremony to ensure good fishing. The Quieutes had many legends about mosters and shape-shifters, beings who were able to change their physical form at will.
The Quileute Creation Story and the Twilight Werewolves
In Twilight, the character Jacob Black is a werewolf. The connection between werewolves and the Quileutes in Twilight are based on a real Quileute myth. According to Quileute legend, a shape shifter transformed a wolf into a man, who became the first Quileute.
The Cold Ones
In the film, the Quileute werewolves and the Cullen family of vampires have agreed to a treaty so they can live in peace. ,As long as the vampires didn't make trouble and stayed off Quiluete land they would leave them alone. However, this part of the story diverges from legend, for vampire legends are not part of traditional Quileute mythology. As stated on the website Native Languages of the Americas: Quileute Indian Legends “There are no Quileute legends about "Cold Ones" or other vampires. Stephenie Meyer, the author of the "Twilight" books, has stated that she made this fictional vampire legend up herself and only had her Quileute character tell it for the purposes of her plot.”
Sources:
Native Languages of the Americas: Quileute Indian Legends
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