Haida << HY duh >> are an indigenous (native) people who live chiefly on the Haida Gwaii island group of British Columbia in Canada and on Prince of Wales Island of Alaska in the United States. In Canada, the Haida are designated as a First Nations people. The Haida became famous for their large oceangoing canoes and carved wooden totem poles, masks, and boxes.
In their traditional way of life, the Haida made their living by fishing, gathering wild plants, and hunting. They lived in villages of plank houses along sheltered beaches. Family groups placed totem poles in front of their homes and elsewhere to signify the group’s social rank and ancestry. Wealthy families controlled large fishing areas, and some owned slaves. Haida chiefs still sponsor potlatches , ceremonial festivals at which hosts give gifts to their guests to mark important occasions and to establish social rank. Today, there are thousands of Haida.
