Who Are the Haida?
The Haida are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest, numbering approximately 4,500—primarily on Haida Gwaii (formerly Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia and in Southeast Alaska (Kaigani Haida). They speak Haida, a language isolate unrelated to any other known language. The Haida developed one of the most artistically sophisticated cultures in the Americas, renowned for their monumental totem poles, carved canoes, argillite sculptures, and formline design. Master seafarers and traders, they dominated the waters around their island homeland, raiding as far south as Puget Sound. Their dramatic population collapse—from perhaps 20,000 to fewer than 600—and subsequent revival is one of indigenous history's remarkable stories.
Island Kingdom
Haida Gwaii—"Islands of the Haida"—is an archipelago 50 miles off British Columbia's coast. Isolated yet resource-rich, these islands supported dense populations and cultural elaboration. Haida society divided into two moieties—Raven and Eagle—with matrilineal clans. Massive cedar longhouses, fronted by totem poles reaching 60+ feet, housed extended families. The Haida built the largest ocean-going canoes on the Northwest Coast, capable of carrying 60 people and traveling hundreds of miles. These vessels enabled trade, warfare, and slave raiding throughout the region. Haida warriors were feared; their artistic products were prized trade items.
Artistic Excellence
Haida art represents a pinnacle of indigenous artistic achievement. The distinctive "formline" design—flowing black primary lines filled with red and blue-green—creates visual language depicting clan crests and mythological beings. Totem poles narrated family histories and crest privileges. Argillite (black slate) carving, developed post-contact for trade, produced miniature poles, platters, and figures. Bent-corner boxes, woven hats, and ceremonial regalia displayed formline aesthetics. Artists like Charles Edenshaw (19th century) and Bill Reid (20th century) achieved international recognition. Contemporary Haida artists—Robert Davidson, Jim Hart, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas—continue innovating within and beyond traditional forms.
Collapse and Revival
Contact brought catastrophic population collapse—smallpox and other diseases reduced the Haida from perhaps 20,000 to fewer than 600 by 1900. Entire villages were abandoned; survivors consolidated at Masset and Skidegate. Missionaries suppressed potlatch and traditional practices; totem poles were destroyed or sold. Yet Haida identity survived. The 1969 formation of the Council of the Haida Nation began political revival. The Haida Gwaii designation (2009) replaced colonial name. The 2010 Old Massett pole raising was the first in over a century. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve protects former village sites and ecological heritage.
Contemporary Haida
Modern Haida are experiencing cultural renaissance. The language, critically endangered (fewer than 20 fluent speakers by 2000s), has intensive revitalization programs including immersion schools. Artists thrive; the Haida Heritage Foundation supports cultural programs. Political assertion has achieved co-management of Gwaii Haanas with Parks Canada—a model of indigenous-government partnership. Forest protection campaigns successfully limited logging. The Haida have not signed treaties; their title claims to Haida Gwaii remain outstanding. How the Haida balance resource development with environmental protection, revive language against odds, and achieve political recognition shapes this island nation's future.
References
- MacDonald, G. F. (1983). Haida Monumental Art: Villages of the Queen Charlotte Islands
- Steltzer, U. & Davidson, R. (1994). Eagle Transforming: The Art of Robert Davidson
- Collison, N. (2018). The Supernatural World of the Haida