As early as the 1500s, fur traders from Europe began to arrive in the subarctic region of North America. These traders were greeted by the many groups of native peoples already living in the region. These native peoples had their own languages, cultures, and methods for hunting and surviving in this land where it snowed 200 days a year. * Yupik women made waterproof clothing from salmon skin. * The Ojibwa told the legend of the Wendigo spirit who caused starvation. * The Deg Hit'an performed the Mask Dance to inspire the spirits to provide food. Many native peoples still live throughout the subarctic. They are working to revive their traditions and languages and preserve the land.

Read more about the history and culture of the native peoples of the Subarctic.