THESE PEOPLE LIVE OFF THE TIP OF ALASKA'S PANHANDLE , CANADA'S WESTERNMOST ISLAND. THIS LAND REPRESENTS TO THEM THEIR HISTORY AND THEIR CULTURE. THEY CALL THE RAVENS THEIR BROTHERS. THEY NEVER SIGNED A TREATY WITH CANADA AND THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE A SOVEREIGNN NATION.
LAVINA IS A TALL SLENDER LADY FROM AN ARISTOCRAT FAMILY. SHE SPEAKS AS A FIERCE WARRIOR FOR HER PEOPLE'S CAUSES AS THEY HAVE MANY PROBLEMS WITH THEIR CULTURE. THE INTERVIEWER MET HER AND HER HUSBAND IN VANCOUVER.
HER INDIAN NAME TRANSLATE AS 'many copper shields'. SHE HAS MANTY RESPONSIBILITIES.. HER GRANDPA WAS A GREAT ARTIST.THE HAIDA NATION HAS RAVEN AND EAGLE CLANSAND WITHIN THEM THERE ARE MANY MORE. SHE IS UNDER THE RAVEN CLAN. A RAVEN CANNOT MARRY A RAVEN.... THIS WAS IN THE OLD DAYS. SINDCE THEN MARRIAGE LAWS HAVE BEEN BROKEN. THERE WERE ONLY 500 HAIDA SINCE THEY HAD MANY EPIDEMICS FROM BEING TOGETHER WITH THE ANGO FOLKS. SHE IS 73 NOW AND REMEMBERS HEARING HER ELDERS SPEAK ABOUT THREE DIFFERENT EPIDEMICS. THERE USED TO BE 80,000 HAIDU ON OUR ISLAND. TODAY THERE ARE ABOUT 6,000 PEOPLE. THE ISLAND IS ABOUT 80 MILES OF THE MAINLAND.
HER PRINCIPAL CAUSE IS FREEDOM. SHE REMEMBERS WHEN SHE WAS FREE- FREE FROM POLICE, FREE FROM POLICE, AND FREE FROM HARRASSMENT. IT'D DIFFICULT FOR HER TO GIVE UP THE STRUGGLE BECAUSE SHE WANTS HER PEOPLE TOE XPERIENCE FREEDOM. SHE BELIEVES THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAQKE DECISIONS, AND TO GOVERN THEMSELVES. AND THEY WANT CONTROL OF THEIR LANDS AND OF THEIR RESOURCES.
THERE IS MUCH SUICIDE AMONG THE YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO REASON TO LOOK FOR HOPE - IT WAS FOREIGN TO US BEFORE THE ANGLOS CAME HERE.
SANDY JOHNSON
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