.
..
...
....
.....
Time's UP! Ok...let me guess...you drew a blank? If your answer is "Karyn's Blog"...I suppose it counts, but it's not the correct answer! Haha. Good try.
 |
| This is the Haida Nation Flag...beautiful, huh? |
Well, you're not the only one! I think Haida Gwaii stands for "island of the hidden people" because, really, who's heard of them?! When you rhyme off a list of Aboriginal groups, I bet they don't make the list. I know, personally, my list would have gone like this: Mi'kmaq, Ojibway, Dene, Inuit, Cree, Blackfoot, Crow, Sioux, Apache, etc. I knew about the Haida peoples solely because of Free Willy ( I had a MAJOR crush on Randolph) and the art we studied for a day in Art 12. So, naturally, it's not the first to come to mind. You don't normally hear about Haidas on the news or, unless you're watching APTN and still it would be a rare occurance, see them on television! OR you may see people who seem to be Haida but in fact may be Nisga'a or T'lingit or T'simshian because they may look alike but they're very VERY different! I bet most people wouldn't even know there's a great example of the beautiful Haida artwork on the back of a $20 bill! There's a conversation starter for you! Haha. My point is...they're hidden! Secret. Mysterious. Powerful.
So, here's a nice little list of things to fill that blank for future reference!
1.Anthropologists have studied pre-contact Haida remains and came to the conclusion the average male stature was around 6'6". Could this perhaps be where the Sasquatch stories started? Hmmm....Personally, I've met more average stature Haidas but this could very well be a result of inter-tribal relations ;) But there are some really tall ones out there! (information from my fiance's anthropology professor...I haven't read any studies myself...but this just gives me more to look for!)
2. The Haida are very closely related to the Apache. Very peculiar...a desert tribe and a water tribe...this data was found accidentally thanks to the Genome project in the 1970s! Makes sense though...both are very successful warriors!
3. The Haida people knew how to use cannons/gunpowder before European contact (information from the Haida Heritage Centre). How, you may ask? Some theories point to trading or perhaps they took them from sunken ships off the coast!
4. The Haida canoes were built as sea-faring vessels to travel long trade routes to Japan and New Zealand. After the smallpox plague, information on how to build these mighty ships was lost until Bill Reid re-discovered the process of making the canoes by using artifacts in museums and practicing using small blocks of cedar wood. He also discovered that ammonia was the key to stretching the canoes and they used child's urine to do so in the past due to the high ammonia content. (information from the Haida Heritage Centre).
5. Education is important to the Haida! Chief Niis Wes and some other elders were the oldest people to finish their grade 12 education in their late 90s. Who ever said you can't teach an old dog new tricks obviously never met these guys! Wow!
6. This tidbit of information is close to my heart! Our daughter, Noora, is the first Haida to be born in Nova Scotia...this was confirmed by a man named Big Bear from Indianbrook, NS. We'll trust his word, haha. She deserves a certificate! :)
7. The most famous Haida canoe was featured on a Coke commercial which aired during the February 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, BC. The Loo Taas is Bill Reid's baby, the first in 100 years to sail the West Coast, from Vancouver area to Haida Gwaii. There is also a children's book out now called The Canoe He Called Loo Taas by Amanda Reid-Stevens and illustrated by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas. Check it out!
8. There were approximately 40,000 people populating the island of Haida Gwaii before European contact and smallpox and not the 10,000 that is usually seen in the history books. The "hidden" 30,000 men, women and children go unaccounted for in hopes that this "tragedy" will be overlooked. I don't think so!
9. The smallpox virus which hit Haida Gwaii happened in three waves. Biochemical warfare was utilized....a genius plan, really. The Europeans gave the Haida blankets which had been infected with the virus (from deceased individuals, I'm guessing) and therefore, passed it onto unsuspecting victims. And to think of all the fuss made over the H1N1 virus...if only we knew then what we know now. Check out the March 2009 edition of Haida Laas for more information (found on www.haidanation.ca/Pages/Haida_Laas/PDF/Journals/Smallpox_Journal.72.pdf)
10. It is theorized that the Haida canoes spawned the design of modern Naval ships and other seacraft because they were so fast, durable and smooth on the water! Who knew!
Well, folks, there's a list of ten things you can add to your brain. I'm sure I'll have more little-known-facts to come as I further research and talk to people! I know I can't wait to learn more and it's always fun to say "Hey, did you know...?"
Goodnight!
No comments:
Post a Comment