72-615: SG̱ang Gwaay Llnagaay (" Red Cod Island "), commonly known by its English name Ninstints , is a village site of the Haida people and part of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site on Haida Gwaii on the North Coast of British Columbia , Canada . The village site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , a National Historic Site , and a National Marine Conservation site. The name of
144-437: A Haida war party generally followed that of the community itself, the only difference being that the chief took the lead during battles; otherwise his title was more or less meaningless. Medicine men were often brought along raids or before battles to "destroy the souls of enemies" and ensure victory. Battles between a group of Haida warriors and another community sometimes resulted in the annihilation of either one or both of
216-613: A deity who presides over the seas; X_yuu, the northeast wind; and Sin SG_aanuwee, a cosmological "super-being" that encompasses all others. Prior to contact with Europeans, other Indigenous communities regarded the Haida as aggressive warriors and made attempts to avoid sea battles with them. There is some archeological evidence that the Northwest coast tribes, to which the Haida belong, engaged in warfare as early as 2200 BC, although it
288-420: A majority of their work on the land. Women were responsible for all of the chores in relation to the keeping of the home. Women were also in charge of curing cedarwood to use for weaving and making clothes. It was also the duty of the women to gather berries and dig for shellfish and clams. Once a boy hit puberty, his uncles on his mothers' side would educate him on his family history and how to behave now that he
360-436: A pandemic. European public health standards at the time were well practiced and adhered-to official health standards, including vaccinations and victims isolation. Instead, as the disease spread, Victoria Police burned some one dozen homes, deliberately displacing 200 Haida on May 13. They went on to burn some 40–50 more indigenous villages the following day. First Nations from further north had been camping periodically outside
432-490: A presence on their traditional territories. Archaeological evidence shows that Haida Gwaii has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years, with territories of the Haida extending North into Southern Alaska. The people of SG̱ang Gwaay llnagaay are sometimes referred to as the Kunghit Haida. The Kunghit Haida occupied the southern portion of the archipelago of Haida Gwaii, with territory stretching from Lyell Island to
504-506: A rigorous coast-wide legal system called Potlatch . After the Island's wide arrival of red cedar some 7,500 years ago Haida society transformed to centre around the coastal "tree of life". Massive carved cedar monuments and cedar big houses became widespread throughout Haida Gwaii. The first recorded contact between the Haida and Europeans was in July 1774 with Spanish explorer Juan Pérez , who
576-519: A specially made military suit was prepared for chiefs if they fell in battle. The slaves belonging to the chiefs who died in battle were burned with them. The Haida used the bow and arrow until it was replaced by firearms acquired from Europeans in the 19th century, but other traditional weapons were still preferred. The weapons that the Haida used were often multi-functional; they were used not only in battle, but during other activities as well. For instance, daggers were very common and almost always
648-505: A stone pillow and only allowing her to eat and drink small amounts she would become tougher. Although not commonly practiced today, it was once customary for young boys and girls entering puberty to embark on vision quests. These quests would send them out alone for days. They would travel through the forests, in hopes of finding a spirit to guide them through their lives. It was believed that boys and girls who were destined for greatness could find unique spirit guides. A successful vision quest
720-399: Is 1,337.4 mm (52.65 in) with snowfall of 75.3 cm (29.65 in) and there is generally a breeze, most often out of the southeast when it is raining, and the northwest when it is sunny. Summer temperatures are in the 15 to 20 °C (59 to 68 °F) range and the days are long - May, June, July boasting 18 hours of daylight. August and May general have the most sun but there
792-471: Is Thomas Price, was a noted and highly artistic carver of Haida art, notably in argillite . SG̱ang Gwaay Llnagaay was the location of several notable episodes in the early history of European contact and trade with the Haida. At the outset of the maritime fur trade , the village was visited in 1787 by George Dixon , who noted the Haidas who met them at sea were eager to trade with sea otter fur. This marked
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#1732772936796864-403: Is a fair degree of rain throughout the summer months. Winter months are mild with temperatures in the 0–8 °C (32–46 °F) range and while precipitation is usually in the form of rain there can be some snowfall. Conditions can become severe without warning and Masset has registered wind gusts to 160 km/h (99 mph). Although it is located at over 54 degrees north , rainfall follows
936-567: Is an incomplete list of anthropologists and scholars who have done research on the Haida. Masset Masset ( / ˈ m æ s ɪ t / ; formerly Massett ) is a village in the Haida Gwaii archipelago in British Columbia , Canada. It is located on Masset Sound on the northern coast of Graham Island , the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately 50 km (31 mi) west of mainland British Columbia. It
1008-770: Is currently in use by two places: the Village of Masset , a municipality under Canadian legislation; and by the Village of Old Massett , the original recipient of the name and a village under the Constitution of the Haida Nation. According to John T. Walbran, Masset came from the Haida word Masst , or large island. Captain Douglas, on his second visit from Nootka Sound aboard the Iphigenia on June 19, 1789, named
1080-478: Is the primary western terminus of Trans-Canada Highway 16 (the Yellowhead Highway ) and is served by Masset Airport , with flights to Vancouver and Prince Rupert. During the maritime fur trade of the early 19th century, Masset was a key trading site. It was incorporated as a village municipality on May 11, 1961. The name Masset was a gift from the captain of a Spanish vessel that was repaired with
1152-720: The British Columbia Shore Station Oceanographic Program was collecting coastal water temperature and salinity measurements for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans from Masset everyday during this period. Canadian Forces Station Leitrim Detachment Masset, established as Naval Radio Station Masset in 1943, is a Canadian Forces facility used to gather signals intelligence for the Communications Security Establishment Canada and
1224-494: The Canadian Forces Intelligence Branch . The equipment at CFS Masset is operated remotely from CFS Leitrim near Ottawa , Ontario . The climate, moderated by a warm Pacific current from Japan, is generally mild with no extremes in temperature, oceanic ( Cfb ). Annual temperature varies only 20 degrees Celsius but is variable and unpredictable - even within a 24-hour period. Average rainfall
1296-467: The Puget Sound communities, a battle ensued in which 26 natives and one government soldier were killed. In the aftermath of this, Colonel Isaac Ebey , a U.S. military officer and the first settler on Whidbey Island , was shot and beheaded on August 11, 1857, by a small Tlingit group from Kake, Alaska , in retaliation for the killing of a respected Kake chief in the raid the year before. Ebey's scalp
1368-669: The USS ; Massachusetts was sent from Seattle to nearby Port Gamble, where indigenous raiding parties made up of Haida (from territory claimed by the British) and Tongass (from territory claimed by the Russians) had been attacking and enslaving the Coast Salish people there. When the Haida and Tongass (sea lion tribe Tlingit ) warriors refused to acknowledge American jurisdiction and to hand over those among them who had attacked
1440-723: The Vikings of Scandinavia by Diamond Jenness , an early anthropologist at the Canadian Museum of Civilization . In Haida Gwaii, the Haida government consists of a matrix of national and regional hereditary, legislative, and executive bodies including the Hereditary Chiefs Council, the Council of the Haida Nation (CHN) , Old Massett Village Council , Skidegate Band Council , and the Secretariat of
1512-505: The 18th century as evidenced by Captain James Cook 's discovery of one such hilltop fortification in a Haida village. Numerous other sightings of such fortifications were recorded by other European explorers during this century. There were multiple motivations for the Haida people to engage in warfare. Various accounts explain that the Haida went to battle more for revenge than anything else, and would acquire slaves from their enemies in
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#17327729367961584-512: The 21st century, younger people are also making art in a popular expression such as Haida manga . The Haida also created "notions of wealth", and Jenness credits them with the introduction of the totem pole (Haida: ǥyaagang ) and the bentwood box. Missionaries regarded the carved poles as graven images rather than representations of the family histories that wove Haida society together. Chiefly families showed their histories by erecting totems outside their homes, or on house posts forming
1656-774: The Haida Nation. The Kaigani Haida live north of the Canadian and U.S. border which cuts through the Dixon Entrance south of Prince of Wales Island ( Tlingit : Taan ) in Southeast Alaska , United States; Haida from K'iis Gwaii in the Duu Guusd region of Haida Gwaii migrated north in the early 18th century. Federally recognized Haida tribes in the United States include the Central Council of
1728-636: The Haida across Canada. In 1987, the governments of Canada and British Columbia signed the South Moresby Agreement, establishing the Gwaii Haanas National Park , which is cooperatively managed by the Canadian government and the Haida Nation. The blockade was profiled in Christopher Auchter 's 2024 documentary film The Stand . In December 2009, the government of British Columbia officially renamed
1800-401: The Haida families as they would identify with one or the other and this would signify what side on the village they would reside on. The family would also own their own property, had specific areas for food gathering. These categories of Eagles and Ravens divided them on an even larger scale, specifying their land, history, and customs. The Haida social system changed significantly by the end of
1872-400: The Haida in 1787. The Haida did well for themselves in this industry and until the mid-1800s they were at the centre of the profitable China sea-otter trade. Although they had gone on expeditions as far as Washington State , at first they had minimal confrontations with Europeans. Between 1780 and 1830, the Haida came into conflict with European and American traders. Among the dozens of ships
1944-495: The Haida matrilineages in Haida Gwaii some 14,000 to 19,000 years ago. These include SGuuluu Jaad (Foam Woman), Jiila Kuns (Creek Woman), and KalGa Jaad (Ice woman). The Haida canon of oral histories and archaeological findings agree that Haida ancestors lived alongside glaciers and were present at the time of the arrival of the first tree, a lodgepole pine, on Haida Gwaii. For thousands of years since Haida have participated in
2016-495: The Knife ( Haida : SG̲aawaay Ḵʹuuna ), was released, with an all-Haida cast. The actors learned Haida for their performances in the film, with a two-week training camp followed by lessons throughout the five weeks of filming. Haida artist Gwaai Edenshaw and Tsilhqot'in filmmaker Helen Haig-Brown directed, with Edenshaw and his brother being co-screenwriters, with Graham Richard and Leonie Sandercock . Christopher Auchter ,
2088-566: The Santiago was ultimately unable to dock and they were forced to depart without having set foot on Haida Gwaii. The Haida conducted regular trade with Russian, Spanish, British, and American maritime fur traders and whalers. According to sailing records, they diligently maintained strong trade relationships with Westerners, coastal people, and among themselves. Trade for sea-otter pelts was initiated by British Captain George Dixon with
2160-626: The Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and the Hydaburg Cooperative Association. Some citizens of the Sitka Tribe of Alaska are of Haida heritage. In a first-of-its-kind deal negotiated over the preceding decades, British Columbia in 2024 transferred the title over more than 200 islands off Canada's west coast to the Haida nation. Haida history begins with the arrival of the primordial ancestresses of
2232-424: The archipelago from Queen Charlotte Islands to Haida Gwaii . The Haida Nation asserts Haida title over all of Haida Gwaii and is pursuing negotiations with the provincial and federal governments. Haida authorities continue to pass legislation and manage human activities in Haida Gwaii, which includes making formal agreements with the Canadian communities established on the islands. Haida efforts are largely directed at
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2304-423: The assistance of the Haida citizens of Atewaas , Kayung and Jaaguhl . These three villages accepted the gift and adopted the name Masset to commemorate what might be the first ever contact between Europeans and the Haida. During the early years of Canadian colonization the name Masset and the post office were adopted by the former Reverend Charles Harrison as part of his scheme to sell land. The name Masset
2376-752: The bay leading to the inlet McIntyre's Bay . This name was used on the charts of Dixon and Meares . The American traders called the inlet, Hancock's River as shown in Ingraham's chart of 1792 after the American brig Hancock . In 1853 H.N. Knox of the Royal Navy, mate on HMS Virago , did a sketch survey of the harbour when the name Masset was adopted by the British. A survey was made in 1907 by Captain Learmouth on HMS Egeria . Masset's name in
2448-427: The building. Well known contemporary Haida artists include Bill Reid , Robert Davidson , Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas , and Freda Diesing amongst others. Transformation masks were worn ceremonially, used by dancers and represented or illustrated the connection between various spirits. The masks usually depicted an animal transforming into another animal or a spiritual or mythical being. Masks were representations of
2520-595: The city limits of Victoria to take advantage of trade, and at the time of the epidemic numbered almost 2000, many of whom were Haida. The colonial government made no effort to vaccinate the First Nations in the region nor to quarantine anyone infected. In June, the encampments were forcibly cleared by police, and 20 canoes of Haidas, many of whom were likely already infected with smallpox, were forced back to Haida Gwaii, escorted by gunboats HMS Grappler and Forward . Those infected did not make it home, according to
2592-447: The disease was spread throughout Haida Gwaii. The disease quickly spread throughout Haida Gwaii, devastating entire villages and families, and creating an influx of refugees. The pre-epidemic population of Haida Gwaii was estimated to be 6,607, but was reduced to 829 in 1881. The only two remaining villages were Massett and Skidegate . The population collapse caused by the epidemic weakened Haida sovereignty and power, ultimately paving
2664-414: The diseases that ravaged the villages, many moved to economic hubs such as Masset , Skidegate , and as far as Victoria to take advantage of this growing relationship. For those who remained at SGang Gwaay Llanagaay, their population was greatly reduced by the 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic . In the succeeding years, the population continued to decline due to other introduced diseases. By 1875
2736-661: The dominant culture. In 1911, Canada and British Columbia rejected a Haida offer whereby in exchange for full rights of British citizenship Haidas would formally join the Dominion of Canada . In November 1985, members of the Haida nation protested the ongoing logging of old-growth forests on Haida Gwaii, establishing a blockade to prevent the logging of Lyell Island by Western Forest Products . A standoff between protesters, police and loggers lasted two weeks, during which 72 Haidas were arrested. Images of elders being arrested gained media traction, which raised awareness and support for
2808-565: The farthest southern tip of the archipelago. They had approximately two dozen permanent villages, as well as other smaller seasonal settlements located near major resource areas. Early records of Haida testimony recorded by John R. Swanton place the number of long houses at twenty. Larger Kunghit Haida villages had as many as seventeen or more longhouses, with village populations ranging from less than two hundred to more than five hundred. The last chief to be born in Ninstints, whose English name
2880-419: The form and antics of a Raven. Ne-kilst-lass revealed the world and was an active player in the creation of life. While Ne-kilst-lass has a generous inclination, they also includes a darker, indulgent, and trickster quality. Nang Kilsldaas is merely one of many dozens of supernatural beings who personify a wide variety of forces, objects, places, and phenomena. A few of the most prevalent include K_ing.gii,
2952-506: The form of gifts. They are often held when a citizen wishes to commemorate an event of importance. For example, deaths of a loved one, marriages, and other civil proceedings. The more important potlatches take years to prepare and can continue for days. Haida society continues to produce a robust and highly stylized art form, a leading component of Northwest Coast art . While artists frequently have expressed this in large wooden carvings ( totem poles ), Chilkat weaving , or ornate jewellery, in
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3024-481: The groups involved. Villages would be burned down during a battle which was a common practice during Northwest coast battles. The Haida burned their warriors who died in battles, though it is not known if this act was done after each battle or only after battles in which they were victorious. The Haida believed that fallen warriors went to the House of Sun, which was considered a highly honorable death. For this reason,
3096-408: The initially amicable trade relations, where SG̱ang Gwaay Llanagaay was visited once again in 1788 by Charles Duncan , and twice in 1789 – first by Robert Gray then by his partner John Kendrick later that year, at which point the trade relationship turned hostile. In the decades which followed, the trade relationship improved between the Haida and European traders in the area. Because of this, and
3168-615: The late Archaic period and early Formative period show that Northwest coast nations, particularly in the North where most Haida communities were situated, began more frequently engaging in battles of some sort from 1800 BC to AD 500, though the number of battles is unknown. This rise in the incidence of battles during the Middle Pacific period also correlates with the erection of the first defensive fortifications in Haida communities. These fortifications continued to be in use during
3240-479: The local dialect of the Haida language is Uttewas , "white slope", probably referring to a small hill south of the village. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Masset had a population of 838 living in 399 of its 518 total private dwellings, a change of 5.7% from its 2016 population of 793. With a land area of 20.69 km (7.99 sq mi), it had a population density of 40.5/km (104.9/sq mi) in 2021. From 1942 to 1942,
3312-640: The lush temperate rainforest climate. Images of the ruins of SG̱ang Gwaay Llnagaay are emblematic of Haida culture and of Haida Gwaii and are featured in tourism promotions for the islands and the province at large. The site is extremely remote, and access is only by sea or air from towns in the northern part of the islands. To protect the valuable Haida Heritage Sites, Haida operate a Watchmen program, stationing Haida at traditional village sites throughout Haida Gwaii including within Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site . The Watchmen ensure that visitors are acting in an appropriate manner and maintain
3384-415: The mid-19th century and came to be used as the village's name as a result of the practice of ship captains referring to villages by the name of the headman or chief at the location. The village was one of the southernmost of Haida villages, located in a sheltered bay on the east side of the island, just west of and facing Kunghit Island , the southernmost large island in the archipelago. It is small but also
3456-419: The most secluded and protected major Haida settlement because of its location on a sheltered rocky bay. SG̱ang Gwaay llnagaay is the earliest recorded village in the southern archipelago. SG̱ang Gwaay Llnagaay today features the largest collection of Haida totem poles in their original locations, all of which are celebrated as great works of art, though Haida are allowing them to succumb to the natural decay of
3528-555: The nephew of Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas , has created a number of Haida centered films. In 2017 he directed the animated film The Mountain of SGaana , inspired by Haida mythology. His short documentary Now Is the Time premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival . The Haida nation was split between two moieties , the Raven and the Eagle. Marriages between two people from
3600-428: The nineteenth century. At this point a majority of the Haida had taken nuclear family forms, and members of families belonging in the same moiety (Ravens and Eagles) were permitted to marry each other. The roles of the family varied between men and women. Men were responsible for all of the hunting and fishing, building homes and carving canoes and totem poles. The women's responsibilities were to stay close to home doing
3672-676: The plans of the colonial governments, and passed on at Bones Bay near Alert Bay. Later on a group of copper miners travelled from Bella Coola aboard the Leonede under command of Captain McAlmond. The boat took 12 passengers in December. One of these passengers carried smallpox to Haida Gwaii. This might not have been a disaster should the infected miner have stayed in isolation at the mining site on Sḵʼin G̱aadll , or Skincuttle Island. Instead
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#17327729367963744-410: The preceding decades, British Columbia in 2024 transferred the title of more than 200 islands off Canada's west coast to the Haida people, recognizing the nation's aboriginal land title across all of Haida Gwaii. The Haida language is considered to be an isolate . In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Haida was de facto banned with the introduction of residential schools and the enforcement of
3816-489: The process. According to the anthropologist Margaret Blackman , warfare on Haida Gwaii was primarily motivated by revenge. Many Northwest coast legends tell of Haida communities raiding and fighting with neighbouring communities because of insults or other disputes. Other causes included conflicts over property, territory, resources, trade routes, and even women. However, a battle between a Haida community and another often did not have simply one cause. In fact, many battles were
3888-405: The protection of land and water and functioning ecosystems and this is expressed in the protected status for nearly 70% of the million-hectare archipelago. The protected status applies to the landscape and water as well as smaller culturally significant areas. They have also forced a reduction of large-scale industrial activity and the careful regulation of access to resources. In British Columbia,
3960-733: The result of decades old disputes. The Haida, like several other Northwest coast Indigenous communities, engaged in slave raiding as slaves were highly sought after for their use as labor as well as bodyguards and warriors. During the 19th century, the Haida fought physically with other Indigenous communities to ensure domination of the fur trade with European merchants. Haida groups also had feuds with these European merchants that could last years. In 1789, some Haidas were accused of stealing items from Captain Kendrick , most of which included drying linen. Kendrick seized two Haida chiefs and threatened to kill them via cannon-fire if they did not return
4032-450: The same moiety were prohibited. Due to this any children that were born after the marriage would officially become part of the moiety that the mother had come from. Each group provided its members with entitlement to a vast range of economic resources such as fishing spots, hunting or collecting areas, and housing sites. Each group also had rights to their own myths and legends, dances, songs, and music. Eagles and Ravens were very important to
4104-640: The site was used primarily as a camp, and by 1878 all the remaining people of SGang Gwaay Llanagaay had all moved to Skidegate . Haida people The Haida ( English: / ˈ h aɪ d ə / , Haida : X̱aayda , X̱aadas , X̱aad , X̱aat ) are an Indigenous group who have traditionally occupied Haida Gwaii , an archipelago just off the coast of British Columbia , Canada , for at least 12,500 years. The Haida are known for their craftsmanship , trading skills, and seamanship . They are known to have frequently carried out raids and to have practiced slavery . The Haida have been compared to
4176-504: The souls of the mask owner's family waiting in the afterlife to be reborn. Masks worn during ceremonial dances were designed with strings to open the mask, transforming the spiritual animal into a carving of the ancestor underneath. There was also an emphasis on the idea of metamorphosis and reincarnation. With the banning of potlatches by the Canadian government in 1885, many masks were confiscated. Masks and many other objects are considered sacred and designed only for specific people to see. It
4248-416: The stolen items. Though the Haida community complied at the time, less than two years later 100 to 200 of its people attacked the same ship. The missionary William Collison describes having seen a Haida fleet of around forty canoes. However, he does not provide the number of warriors in these canoes, and there are no other known accounts that describe the number of warriors in a war party. The structure of
4320-569: The term "Haida Nation" often refers to the Haida people as a whole however, it also refers to their government, the Council of the Haida Nation . All people of Haida ancestry are entitled to Haida citizenship, including the Kaigani, who as Alaskans are also part of the Central Council Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska government. In a deal negotiated between the government and the Haida nation over
4392-476: The thighs and lower back and slats (a long strip of wood) in the side pieces to allow for more flexibility during movement. They wore elk hide tunics under their armour and wooden helmets. Arrows could not penetrate this armour, and Russian explorers found that bullets could penetrate the armour only if shot from a distance of less than 6.1 metres (20 ft). The Haida rarely used shields because of their developed armour. Historical Haida villages were: This
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#17327729367964464-795: The tribe captured were the Eleanor and the Susan Sturgis . The tribe made use of European weapons they acquired, using cannons and canoe-mounted swivel guns . British colonial authorities formally annexed Haida Gwaii in 1853 by establishing the Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands. It was later integrated into the Colony of British Columbia in 1858. Colonial authorities backed their claims using gunboat diplomacy, both in Haida Gwaii and more broadly throughout northeastern Pacific coastal indigenous title territories. Also in 1857,
4536-415: The use of English language. Haida language revitalization projects began in the 1970s and continue to this day. It is estimated that there are only 3 or 4 dozen Haida-speaking people with almost all of them being the age of 70 or older. Haida host Potlatches which were intricate economic and social-political processes that include acquisition of incorporeal wealth like names and the circulation of property in
4608-410: The village site, SG̱ang Gwaay Llnagaay , is the Haida name for Anthony Island , where the village is located and means "Red Cod Island." During the late 18th and early 19th centuries the village was referred to as Koyahs or Coyahs , also rendered Quee-ah , after the chief at the time, Koyah . The name "Ninstints," also spelled "Nan Sdins," was the name of the most powerful of the village's chiefs in
4680-704: The way for colonization. In 1885, the Haida potlatch ( Haida : waahlgahl ) was outlawed under the potlatch ban . The elimination of the potlatch system destroyed financial relationships and seriously interrupted the cultural heritage of coastal people. As the islands were christianized, many cultural works such as totem posts were destroyed or taken to museums around the world. This significantly undermined Haida's self-knowledge and further diminished morale. The government began forcibly sending some Haida children to residential schools as early as 1911. Haida children were sent as far away as Alberta to live among English-speaking families where they were to be assimilated into
4752-525: The weapon of choice for hand-to-hand combat, and were also used during hunting and to create other tools. One medicine man's dagger that Alexander Mackenzie came across during his exploration of Haida Gwaii, was used both for fights and to hold the medicine man's hair up. Another dagger that Mackenzie obtained from a Haida village was said to be connected to a Haida legend; many daggers had individual histories which made them unique from one another. The Haida wore rod-and-slat armour . This meant greaves for
4824-449: Was a man. It was believed that a special diet would increase his abilities. For example, duck tongues helped him hold his breath under water, whereas blue jay tongues helped him to be a strong climber. The aunts on the father's side of a young Haida woman would teach her about her duties to her tribe once she first began to menstruate. The young woman would go to a secluded space in her family home. They believed that by making her sleep on
4896-628: Was celebrated by the wearing of masks, face paints, and costumes. Haida beliefs are varied and diverse. Modern Haida ascribe to a wide variety of faiths including Protestantism, Catholicism, and Bahá'i. Nihilist, atheist, agnostic, and absurdist perspectives also attend the nation's post-colonial context. Pre-colonial beliefs, however, may still be most popular, and potlatch maintains its elevated situation in Haida society. Many Haida believe in an ultimate being called Ne-kilst-lass , spelt Nang Kilsdlaas in Skidegate dialect, which can manifest through
4968-479: Was not a regular occurrence in the archeological record until the subsequent millennium. Though the Haida were more likely to participate in sea battles, it was not uncommon for them to engage in hand-to-hand combat or long-range attacks. Hostilities were not always violent, often ritualized and some resulting in Peace Treaties still in force hundreds of years later. Analyses of skeletal injuries dating from
5040-579: Was purchased from the Kake by an American trader in 1860. The 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic began on March 26 when a steamship called Brother Jonathan arrived in Victoria from San Francisco containing a passenger infected with smallpox . At the time thousands of indigenous people lived in villages outside the walls of Fort Victoria. The disease broke out amongst Tsimshian people in their community near Fort Victoria. This quickly spread into
5112-402: Was sailing north on an expedition to find and claim new territory for Spain . For two days in a row, the Santiago sat off the shore of Haida Gwaii waiting for the currents to settle down enough to allow them to dock and set foot on land. While they waited, several canoes of Haida sailed out to greet them, and ultimately to trade with Pérez and his men. After two days of poor conditions, however,
5184-456: Was unknown who the wearer of the mask was as each mask was made for each individual's soul and spirit animal. Due to the confiscation of the masks and the sacred meaning to each individual who wore the mask, it is unknown if the masks in museums are truly meant to be seen or if they are an aspect of European colonialism and the rejection of Haida religious and spiritual traditions. In 2018, the first feature-length Haida-language film, The Edge of
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