History
Wookiees are a race of tree-dwelling humanoids. They are, on average, about 2 meters tall and can live for up to 600 years. They are native to the planet Kashyyyk Although Wookiees were, on thier own, a pre-spaceflight people, they adapt to technology incredibly rapidly and with great skill. The Empire first introduced the Wookiee people to spacecraft when they came to Kashyyyk to capture Wookiees to use as slaves. Today, many Wookiees are completely at home with high technology. Many are excellent mechanics. (Chewbacca, for instance, is at least as good at making repairs on the Falcon as his friend Han Solo is.) There are even plants that manufacture hyperdrives and shipboard computers on Kashyyyk now. Wookiees are covered in a thick, lush fur which comes in many colors. Wookiees can be any shade of brown, black, blondish, reddish, two-toned, mottled, or "tipped", that is having a base color of fur and another on the ends of the strands. Since they are entirely fur-covered, most Wookiees wear only a bandolir carrying "quarrels" (ammunition) for their weapons of choice, bowcasters. A bowcaster is a weapon that resembles a cross-bow. The springs in these weapons are so powerful that almost no one except a Wookiee can arm the weapon. They are so strong they can pierce almost any material with even a non- explosive quarrel. Wookiees were often enslaved by the Empire because of thier enormous strength. But in spite of this strength, and their fearsome appearance, they are actually very gentle with their friends, and remarkably even-tempered. However, when enraged, a Wookiee can be one of the most dangerous things in the galaxy. Sayings such as "let the Wookiee win", "It's not wise to upset a Wookiee" and "Wookiees have been known to pull people's arms off when they lose" have sprung up all over the galaxy. (Incidentally, Wookiees can and will do the latter when really furious.) Wookiees culture is built around family ties and honor above all else. The Wookiee family unit is extended, and include friends as well as blood-relatives. Wookiees will also pledge life- debts under certain circmunstances. If someone saves the life of a Wookiee or another act of the same scale, the Wookiee will promise to protect and befriend that being and that being's family for the rest of its life. Chewbacca pledged one such debt to Han Solo, hero of the Rebellion and husband of Chief of State Leia Organa, when Solo rescued Chewbacca from Imperial slavery.

Spelling
Don't you know it's spelled Wookiee? If I had a dollar for every time I read/heard that, I could run for president. As you already know, the majority of people say that Wookiee is the proper spelling of the species to which Chewbacca belongs. However, I prefer to spell Wookie with one and only one e. I have various reasons for spelling Wookie as I do and I will share a few of them with you: Once a Wookie is shaven, it drops the second 'e' until the fur grows back. When I was a child, I spelled it with one e before I found out otherwise. Using Wookie instead of Wookiee is a way of reminiscing about my childhood. While many may disagree, I claim that the spelling of Wookie with one e to be valid. The novelization of Star Wars, which is canon, spells Wookie both ways which implies that they are equivalent to one another and both are valid spellings. If Lucas truly felt that Wookie should be spelled with only two e's, then he would have requested that Del Rey replace Wookie with Wookiee before the publishing run for the Special Editions. After all, technology has advanced enough that this process would not be difficult. However, Lucas has requested no such change which means that he does not object to the use of Wookie instead of Wookiee. The spelling is entirely up to the individual because both forms are valid and equivalent.

Shaving
Many generations ago, it was tradition for a Wookie to shave as part of the rites of passage into adulthood. To be shaven was to show that one had the strength and courage to face the elements and overcome adversity without the protection of one's fur. However, the tradition came to an abrupt end with the Imperial enslavement of Wookies and the ensuing war effort against the Imperials. The tradition would become part of the folklore which was passed down from one generation to the next. During the time between the second and third Sith Wars of RASSM, a warlord enslaved a group of Wookies and in an attempt to completely break their will, the warlord ordered they be shaved. As they were being shaved, the Wookies remembered the stories told to them by their great-grandfathers or grandfathers and suddenly they felt a bond with their ancestors that they had never felt before. Their resolve and the bond between them was stronger than it had been since their capture. It was no longer a matter of if they would escape, but merely a matter of when would they escape. A few days later, the Shaven Wookies made their coup attempt and took control of the warlord's flagship in a matter of hours. After gaining control of the flagship, the Shaven Wookies contacted a passing ship from the Tenasi System and requested assistance in getting back to Kashyyyk. Before leaving the flagship, the Shaven Wookies dismantled the flagship's engines as well as its communications system. Once aboard the ship from Tenasi, the nearest planetary authorities were informed of the location of the warlord's ship and his practices. A hero's celebration welcomed the Shaven Wookies upon their return to Kashyyyk. After the elders heard about what the Shaven Wookies had overcome, they unanimously agreed to reinstate the tradition of shaving as part of the rites of passage into adulthood. The Shaven Wookies vowed to remain furless in honor of all the Wookies who had taken part in the great tradition of shaving. The individuals from Tenasi became part of the honor families of the Shaven Wookies. A few of the Shaven Wookies decided to go with the individuals from Tenasi to serve as bodyguards, one of the individuals took an oath to protect the Shaven Wookies and he became known as the Keeper of the Shaven Wookies.