A Guide To The Haida Tribe: Location, Population, and More

Northwest Indian tribe Haida Gwaii is located off British Columbia’s coast. The Haida have resided on Haida Gwaii, a British Columbia archipelago, for at least 12,500 years. The Kaigani Haida live north of Dixon Entrance on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. Haida from Kiis Gwaii migrated north from Duu Guusd in the early 18th century. In addition to Xaad, Xaadas, Xaat, and Xaayda, the name “Haida” can refer to a variety of other groups within the tribe. Some of the most well-known cultural pursuits of the Haida include their expertise in the arts, commerce, and navigation.

The Hereditary Chiefs Council, the Council of the Haida Nation (CHN), the Skidegate Band Council, the Old Massett Village Council, and the Secretariat are all parts of the Haida Gwaii government. Like the Vikings, they were supposedly proficient in trade, handicraft, and maritime travel. When one tribe triumphed over another, they would enslave the defeated tribe. Diamond Jenness, a pioneering anthropologist working at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, established a link between the Vikings and the Haida.

Name

To pronounce Haida, you can try saying “high-duh” (pronounced HIGH-duh). The name of the tribe has been written a number of different ways throughout the years, including Haidah, Hai-dai, Hydah, and Hyder, but the spelling “Haida” has been the most common since the late 1800s. Upon arriving in Alaska, some Haida took the name Kaigini and settled there in the early 1700s. Hidery (which means “people” in Haida) was supposedly the term the Haida gave themselves, according to early writers.

Location

The Haida people are the indigenous people of Haida Gwaii (previously the Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia, Canada, and the southern part of Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. The Tlingit and the Haida, whose ancestors settled in what is now known as Southeast Alaska, hail from this vast region (Aani). A branch of the Haida Nation is said to have first arrived on Haida Gwaii.

Population

The deep relationship between Haida and Haida Gwaii, often known as the “people’s islands,” underpins both traditional and current Haida culture. The two largest cities on Graham Island are Old Masset, located in the north, and Skidegate, located in the southeast. In the 2016 census, 501 people claimed Haida heritage. Upwards of 20,000 Haida relatives were living throughout the world at the turn of the 21st century, according to population estimates.

Beliefs

The Haida believe in a supernatural entity named Ne-kilst-lass, who can change into a Raven at will. The name Ne-kilst-lass became recognized throughout the world. Despite Ne-kilst-lass’s propensity for kindness, she also has a more sinister, hedonistic, and nefarious side. The gods of death, Ta’xet, and Tia, are revered by the Haida as well. When it comes to death, Tia is in charge of tranquility, whereas Ta’xet is in charge of brutality. Dzalarhons, a goddess associated with frogs and volcanoes, and her bear deity spouse, Kaiti, are said to have rowed six boats full of people across the Pacific to the Haida homeland.

Culture

The Haida people still produce sophisticated, highly styled Northwest Coast art. Today’s young artists in the Haida community aren’t creating totem poles, Chilkat weaving, or elaborate jewelry; they’re drawing Haida manga instead. The Haida created the bentwood box, as well as the totem pole. Missionaries interpreted the poles as graven images rather than family histories that united Haida culture. Totems outside homes or on support pillars showed families’ history.

The Raven and Eagle moieties, one of two equal parts, comprised the Haida nation. Same-moiety marriage was prohibited. Thus, children born after the marriage belonged to the mother’s moiety. Each group had access to a variety of economic resources, including sites to fish, hunt, or collect and reside. Each group could have its own stories, dances, songs, and music.

Eagles and ravens were important to Haida households because they chose one to represent their hamlet side. The family also had property and food-gathering areas. The Haida tribe further differentiated these eagles and ravens based on location, culture, and history. By the conclusion of the 19th century, Haida society was in upheaval. Most Haida had nuclear families by then, and Ravens and Eagles could marry.

Language

The indigenous peoples speak the Haida language of Haida Gwaii (previously the Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia, Canada, and the southern part of Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. Cultural relationships exist between the Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian peoples, who also inhabit the area. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the introduction of residential schools and the mandatory use of English virtually abolished Haida.

An effort to bring back the Haida language that began in the ’70s is still going strong today. Only a handful of people are able to speak Haida, and of those, the vast majority are in their 70s or older. According to historical accounts, there were at least 15,000 native Haida speakers living on Haida Gwaii when Europeans arrived in 1774.

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