HAIDA INDIANS IN ALASKA

THESE ARE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF ALASKA AND CANADA. THEIR TERRITORIES WERE ARCHIPELAGO OF THE QUEEN CHARLETTE ISLANDS OR HAIDA GWAII AS THEY CALL THE ISLANDS. CANADA IS CALLED THE FIRST NATIONS TRIBE. THEIR FIRST ANCESTRAL LANGUAGE IS HAIDA AND IT IS ENDANGERED.

THE HAIDA IN CANADA CREATED THE COUNCIL OF THE HAIDA NATION GAINING BACK AUTONOMY FROM THE CANADIAN INDIAN AFFAIRS IN 1980'S. THE CENTRAL COUNCIL OF THE TLINGIT AND HAIDA NATION TRIBES REPRESENT 26,000 MEMBERS

THEY ARE RENOWNED CRAFTSMEN IN WOOD AND COPPER. TOTEM POLES DEPICTING RESPECTED MYTHICAL CHARACTERS ARE COMMON SYMBOLS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR HERITAGE. CLAN TOTEMS ARE EAGLE OR RAVEN - THEY ARE ORIGINAL GUARDIANS. THEY BELIEVE THEIR HOMELAND WAS GIVEN TO THEM BY THEIR CREATOR. MANY OF THEIR MYTHS AND STORIES TOLD THE STORY OF THE RELATIONSHIP. THEY BELIEVE THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE TO CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. THEY FISH, HUNT, AND TRADE. THEY HAVE A STRONG BELIEF IN THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY.

THEIR ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN REDUCED BY THE COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES. THEIR NATION RESCUES NATURAL LANDS AND CO MANAGES THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND THE GWAII HAANAS NATIONAL PARK RESERVE AND THEIR HERITAGE SITE.

THE HAIDA ARE AN INTERNATIONAL TRIBE. THEIR MAIN HOMES ARE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND HYDALBURG, ALASKA. THEIR DIET WAS PRIMARILY HALIBUT AND SALMON. THEIR HOUSES WERE LARGE CEDAR PLANK WITH 50 ' HIGH TOTEM POLES. IN FRONT OF THE HOUSES. THE HAIDA SYSTEM OF POTLATCH REINFORCES SOCIAL HEIRARCHY OF BOTH STATUS AND WEALTH. THE NORTH AND SOUTH DIALECTS ARE KNOWN IN THE HAIDA LANGUAGE ARE UNRELATED TO ANY OTHER KNOWN TONGUE.

THEY LIVED IN 30 VILLAGES ON THE COAST OF PRINCE OF WALES. IN 1912 PRESIDENT TAFT ESTABLISHED THE ESTIMATED THE HYDABURG RESERVATION FOR PROTECTING THEIR CIVILIZATION AND TREATED AS U S CITIZENS.

THE HAIDA HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN RECLAIMING THEIR ABORIGINAL LANDS. IN 1935 THEY BROUGHT SUIT AGAINST THE U S IN A CASE THAT AWARDED THEM $7.2 MILLION FOR THEIR LANDS IN 1902! IN 1938 THEY ORGANIZED A COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION FILED A PETITION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FOR A RESERVATION ND SUBMITTED A PROCESS FOR IT'S CREATION. THEY DID GET IT PASSED BUT IN 1952 THE AGREEMENT WAS CONSIDERED NULL. IN 1977 THE ALASKA NATIVE CLAIMS ACT AUTHORIZED A CORPORATION FOR EACH VILLAGE. THESE CORPORATIONS PER VILLAGE RECEIVED 23,000 ACRES OF LAND. THEY ARE LOOKING INTO BUSINESSES THAT IMPROVE FOREST PRODUCTS, HOSPITALITY, OIL PRODUCTS, AND ROCK CRUSHING.

THE HAIDA IN MASSET MADE THEIR LIVING FISHING AND THEY BUILT BOATS. WOMEN WORKED IN A CANNERY. DURING THE 60'S THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT WANTED THEM TO BE SELF GOVERNED. IN MASSET THEY SOLVED THEIR TRADITIONAL ARTS AND CRAFTS, INCLUDING TOTEM POLES, REVIVING DANCE, AND THE BUILDING OF CANOES.

THE FORESTS ARE AT LEAST 14,000 YEARS OLD AND THEY WANT TO PRESERVE THEM. THEY ARE NEARBY THE TLINGIT. THE HAIDA 'S SOCIAL STRUCTURE IS A LIVING PROCESS AND HAS ROOTS IN ANCIENT POTLATCH. THEY WERE KNOWN AS FIERCE WARRIORS AND SLAVE TRADERS, AND RAIDED INTO CALIFORNIA. THEIR ORAL STORIES RECORD JOURNEYS NORTH TO THE BERING STRAIT AND ONE STORY SAYS THEY VISITED ASIA BEFORE ANGLOS CAME TO THE COAST. THEY USED ANCIENT WESTERN RED CEDAR TREES TO CARVE THEIR FAMOUS CANOES. FROM 1 TREE THE CANOE COULD SLEEP 15 ADULTS, AND THEY USED 16 PADDLES. WOMEN WERE ALSO ON THESE JOURNEYS. SOMETIMES THEY HAD SEA BATTLES AND USED STONE RINGS ATTACHED TO BARK ROPES. THEY USED RED CEDAR ARMOR AS WELL AND WOODEN SHIELDS.

THEY WERE HUNTERS AND GATHERS. SALMON WAS SMOKED TO EAT DURING THE WINTER. THE SKELETON OF THE FIRST SALMON CAUGHT WAS PLACED IN THE WATER WHERE IT WAS PLACED IN THE WATER WHERE IT WAS CAUGHT AS AN OFFERING. RED CEDAR BARK WAS USED FOR CLOTHING. MANY ITEMS ARE MADE FROM CEDAR AND SITKA SPRUCE. HIGHLY PRIZED WEAVERS CREATE HATS AND BASKETS FROM CEDAR. THEIR ANCIENT WEAVING CALLED CHILKAT CONTINUES ALTHOUGH THEY USE WOOL INSTEAD OF MOUNTAIN GOAT FUR. THEIR FAMOUS TOTEM POLES ARE FROM RED CEDAR POLES. IN ANCIENT TIMES THEY MADE COPPER JEWELRY, ETC. THEY USE ARGILLITE, A SEDIMENTARY ROCK TO CREATE SCULPTURAL TABLETS THAT TELL THE MYSTIC CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE ANCIENT CULTURES.

THEY HAVE TWO MOIETIES - RAVEN AND EAGLE. THESE ARE MATRILINEAL LINEAGES WHO HAVE UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF SONGS AND NAMES. PEOPLE MUST MARRY OUTSIDE OF THEIR MOIETY. POTLATCHES COULD HAVE 100'S OF PEOPLE, AND THEY COULD STAY FOR 10 DAYS. THE HOST WOULD RECEIVE GIFTS FROM THEIR NEIGHBOR'S POTLATCH.

TOTEM POLE ARTIS ELABORATE. RED DEPICTS SOLID AND BLACK DEPICTS EMPTY SPACE. THEY USED ANIMALS, BIRDS, SEA CREATURES AND MYTHIC CREATURES. AMPHIBIOUS CREATURES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A LINEAGE. RAVEN IS A TRICKSTER AND HIS STORIES INCLUDE FREEING HUMANKIND FROM A CLAM SHELL HE IS GREEDY AND CRUEL AS WELL AS TEACHING A LESSON.

THE COUNCIL OF THE TLINGIT AND HAIDA INDIAN TRIBES IS HEADQUARTERED IN JUNEAU, ALASKA. IN 2004 THE SUPREME COURT RULED THAT BEFORE ANY TIMBER HARVESTING OCCURRED ON HAIDA LAND THEY WOULD BE CONSULTED. THEIR LAND IS NOT NECESSARILY PRIVATE. LAND BUT THEY HAVE ABORIGINAL TITLE TO IT.

NEWWORLD ENCYCLOPEDIA.ORG