Haida people

The Haida (English: /ˈhaɪdə/, Haida: X̱aayda, X̱aadas, X̱aad, X̱aat) are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. They are one of 203 First Nations in British Columbia and 231 federally recognized tribes in Alaska. Their traditional home includes Haida Gwaii, a beautiful group of islands off the coast of British Columbia, and the southern part of Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska.

The Haida people are known for their amazing skills in making things, such as beautiful carvings and woven baskets, and for their clever trading and sailing. Their language, called Haida, is special because it is very different from other languages around it. Today, the Haida in Canada are represented by the Council of the Haida Nation (CHN), along with two village councils, the Old Massett Village Council and the Skidegate Band Council. In the United States, groups such as the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and the Hydaburg Cooperative Association also carry on Haida traditions.

Haida governments

The Council of the Haida Nation is the main group that helps make decisions for the Haida First Nations in Canada. This includes the Old Massett Village Council and the Skidegate Band Council, both in British Columbia.

In the United States, Haida people have groups that are recognized by the government. These include the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes, the Hydaburg Cooperative Association, and the Organized Village of Kasaan, all located in Alaska.

History

Precontact

The history of the Haida people began with the arrival of their ancestral matrilineages in Haida Gwaii. Important figures in their stories include SGuuluu Jaad (Foam Woman), Jiila Kuns (Creek Woman), and KalGa Jaad (Ice Woman). The Haida have long traditions of oral history and archaeology showing their ancestors lived near glaciers and were present when the first tree, a lodgepole pine, arrived in Haida Gwaii. Recent discoveries suggest people lived there as early as 13,100 years ago.

For thousands of years, the Haida took part in a strong legal system called the Potlatch. About 7,500 years ago, when red cedar arrived on the islands, Haida society grew around this "tree of life." Big carved cedar monuments and large cedar houses became common across Haida Gwaii.

In the early 1700s, Haida people from K'iis Gwaii moved north to the southern part of Prince of Wales Island in Alaska, near Tlingit territory. This group became known as the Kaigani Haida.

18th century

The first known meeting between the Haida and Europeans happened in July 1774. Spanish explorer Juan Pérez was sailing north to find new lands for Spain. His ship, the Santiago, waited two days near Haida Gwaii for the ocean currents to calm. During this time, Haida people came out in canoes to greet and trade with Pérez and his crew. Bad weather finally forced the ship to leave without going ashore.

The Haida regularly traded with Russian, Spanish, British, and American sea traders and whalers. They built strong trade relationships with many groups. In 1787, British Captain George Dixon began trading sea-otter pelts with the Haida, and they became central to the profitable China sea-otter trade until the mid-1800s.

Though they traveled far, including to Washington State, the Haida mostly avoided conflict with Europeans at first. Between 1780 and 1830, however, they fought with European and American traders. They captured many ships, including the Eleanor and the Susan Sturgis, and used European weapons like cannons and canoe-mounted swivel guns.

19th century

In 1850, gold was found on southern Haida Gwaii. A Haida man, possibly Albert Edenshaw, was shown where to find gold by an elder woman in Skidegate. This led to a short gold rush in 1851, bringing American prospectors to the area. The Haida joined in the gold mining, seeing it as a new material for trade. In response, British colonial leaders claimed Haida Gwaii in 1853, making it the Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands. It became part of the Colony of British Columbia in 1858. The British used gunboats to support their claims across the coastal lands.

Also in 1857, the USS Massachusetts was sent from Seattle to Port Gamble because Haida and Tongass warriors had been attacking and capturing Coast Salish people there. When the warriors refused to follow American rules or give up those responsible, a battle happened. Later, Colonel Isaac Ebey, the first settler on Whidbey Island, was killed by a small group from Kake, Alaska, in response to a past attack.

Smallpox epidemic of 1862

The 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic began in March when a ship named Brother Jonathan arrived in Fort Victoria from San Francisco carrying someone with smallpox. The disease spread quickly among Tsimshian people near Fort Victoria and then across the region. Victoria Police burned homes and displaced many Haida people. Later, police forced Haida camps to leave Victoria and return to Haida Gwaii, even though some were sick. The disease continued to spread when a miner carried it to Haida Gwaii.

The sickness destroyed many villages and families. Before the epidemic, about 6,607 Haida lived on the islands, but by 1881, only 829 remained. The only villages left were Massett and Skidegate. The huge loss of people weakened Haida power and helped colonization.

Arrival of missionaries

Starting in the mid-1800s, Anglican and Methodist missions were set up on Haida Gwaii to convert the Haida to Christianity. The first missionary, Jonathan Green, visited briefly in 1829. Later, missionaries tried to start missions in 1854 and 1868 but succeeded only in the 1870s and 1880s, with the first permanent mission opening in Masset in 1876 and another in Skidegate in 1883.

Potlatch ban

Main article: Potlatch ban

Missionaries did not like the potlatch and tried to replace it with Christian ceremonies. By the 1880s, potlatches were often held in secret because of missionary pressure. In 1884, the government made potlatches illegal under the Indian Act, known as the potlatch ban. This damaged financial ties and interrupted Haida culture. Many important cultural items like totem poles were destroyed or taken to museums, hurting Haida identity and spirit.

20th century

The government began sending some Haida children to residential schools as early as 1911. These schools sent Haida children far away, sometimes to Alberta, to live with English-speaking families and assimilate into the dominant culture.

In 1911, Canada and British Columbia refused a Haida offer to join Canada in exchange for full rights of British citizenship.

Lyell Island protests

Main articles: Lyell Island and Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site

In November 1985, Haida people protested logging of old-growth forests on Haida Gwaii by setting up a blockade to stop logging on Lyell Island. A two-week standoff involved protesters, police, and loggers, and 72 Haida people were arrested. Images of elders being arrested helped gain support across Canada. In 1987, Canada and British Columbia created Gwaii Haanas National Park, which is managed together with the Haida Nation.

The blockade was featured in Christopher Auchter’s 2024 documentary film The Stand.

21st century

In December 2009, British Columbia changed the name of the archipelago from Queen Charlotte Islands to Haida Gwaii. The Haida Nation continues to work toward full control over Haida Gwaii, negotiating with provincial and federal governments. Haida leaders make laws and manage activities on the islands, focusing on protecting land, water, and ecosystems. Nearly 70% of Haida Gwaii is protected, including both natural areas and culturally important sites. They have also reduced large industrial activities and carefully control resource access.

In British Columbia, “Haida Nation” refers to both the Haida people and their government, the Council of the Haida Nation. All people of Haida ancestry, including the Kaigani from Alaska, are part of this group.

In 2024, British Columbia officially transferred the title of more than 200 islands to the Haida people, recognizing their land rights across all of Haida Gwaii.

Culture

Language

Main article: Haida language

The Haida language is a special language that has no other language like it. In the past, people were not allowed to speak Haida in schools, and only English was used. But starting in the 1970s, people began working to bring the Haida language back to life. Today, only a few dozen older people still speak Haida.

Potlatch

Main article: Potlatch

The Haida hold special gatherings called potlatches. These events are important for sharing gifts, remembering special moments, and celebrating important life events like marriages or remembering loved ones. Preparing for a big potlatch can take many years, and the celebration can last for days.

Art

The Haida are known for their beautiful and detailed artwork. They create large wooden carvings like totem poles, colorful woven blankets, and detailed jewelry. Today, young Haida artists also make art in new ways, like drawing stories in comic book style called Haida manga.

The Haida also made special treasures and created totem poles, which tell the stories of their families. These poles were placed outside homes to show family history. Well-known Haida artists include Bill Reid, Robert Davidson, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, and Freda Diesing.

Transformation masks

Transformation masks are special masks used in ceremonies. They show animals changing into other animals or spirits. These masks were worn by dancers and told stories about family spirits and the afterlife. The masks could be opened to show the family ancestor inside. Many masks were taken by others in the past, so today we are not sure if the masks in museums were meant to be shown or if they were taken away from their sacred homes.

Film

In 2018, the first movie made entirely in the Haida language, The Edge of the Knife, was released. The actors learned Haida for the movie during a special training camp and classes during filming. The movie was directed by Haida artist Gwaai Edenshaw and Tsilhqot'in filmmaker Helen Haig-Brown.

Christopher Auchter, the nephew of Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, has made several films about the Haida. In 2017 he directed an animated film called The Mountain of SGaana, based on Haida stories. His short documentary Now Is the Time was shown at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.

Social organization

Moieties

The Haida were divided into two groups, called the Raven and the Eagle. People could not marry someone from their own group. Children would belong to the mother’s group. Each group had its own special places for fishing, hunting, and living, as well as its own stories, dances, and songs. The Raven and Eagle groups were very important to Haida families.

By the end of the nineteenth century, many Haida families changed to smaller family groups, and people from both Raven and Eagle groups could marry each other.

Gender

In the past, men did jobs like fishing, hunting, building homes, and carving canoes and totem poles. Women stayed closer to home, taking care of the house, weaving clothes from cedarwood, and gathering berries and shellfish.

When a boy became a young man, his uncles would teach him about his family and how to act as a man. Girls were taught by their aunts when they began to menstruate, and they would learn about their duties to the tribe.

Both boys and girls sometimes went on special journeys alone in the forest to find a spirit guide.

Religion

Haida beliefs include many different ideas today. Some Haida people follow Christianity, while others believe in older Haida ways. One important belief is in a spirit called Ne-kilst-lass, who appears as a Raven and helped create the world.

There are also many other spirits who represent different things in nature.

Warfare

Before meeting Europeans, the Haida were known as strong warriors. Battles sometimes happened, but they were not always frequent. Wars could be for many reasons, such as revenge, disputes, or wanting control of resources. Sometimes battles were part of long-standing conflicts.

Archaeological evidence shows that battles became more common around 1800 BC to AD 500, and Haida communities built defensive structures. These continued to be used in the 18th century.

War parties were organized like the community, with the chief leading. Medicine men sometimes went to help ensure victory.

Battles could be very serious, with villages sometimes being burned. Warriors who died in battle were honored, and the Haida believed they went to a special place called the House of Sun. Special suits were made for chiefs who died in battle.

The Haida used various weapons, including bows and arrows, and later firearms from Europeans. Traditional weapons like daggers were also used in combat and for other purposes.

The Haida wore strong armor made of rods and slats to protect themselves in battle. They also wore hide tunics and wooden helmets. This armor could stop arrows and, from a distance, even bullets.

Notable Haida

• Primrose Adams (1926–2020), artist
• Delores Churchill (b. 1929), artist, basketweaver
• Marcia Crosby, art historian
• Cumshewa, 18th century chief
• Florence Davidson (1896–1993), artist and memoirist
• Reg Davidson (b. 1954), carver
• Robert Davidson (b. 1946), carver
• Tamara Davidson, politician, MLA for North Coast-Haida Gwaii
• Freda Diesing (1925–2002), carver
• Charles Edenshaw (1839–1920), carver, jeweler and painter
• Gidansda Guujaaw (b. 1953), artist and politician, former President of the Council of the Haida Nation
• Dorothy Grant, artist, fashion designer
• Jim Hart (b. 1952), hereditary chief of Stasstas Eagle Clan, artist
• Koyah (fl. 1787–1795), chief
• Gerry Marks, artist
• Bill Reid (1920–1998), carver, sculptor and jeweler
• Jay Simeon (b. 1976), artist
• Skaay, historian and storytelling expert
• Evelyn Vanderhoop (b. 1953), weaver
• Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, lawyer and artist
• Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas (b. 1954), artist
• Don Yeomans (b. 1958), artist

Anthropologists and scholars

Many smart people have studied the Haida people and learned about their lives and traditions. Some of these researchers include:

• Marius Barbeau
• Franz Boas
• Robert Bringhurst
• Wilson Duff
• Christie Harris
• Charles Hill-Tout
• Bill Holm
• Robert Bruce Inverarity
• Charles F. Newcombe
• John R. Swanton
• Nancy J. Turner
• Marianne Boelscher Ignace