The Haida Indians

The Haida Indians are the native inhabitants of the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada. Exactly how long they have lived there is not known, but they had probably arrived thousands of years before the white man discovered them. These islanders, surrounded by tempestuous northern waters, were almost entirely dependent on the sea and on trading facilities for their subsistence. They wereavigorous people with amazing culture, art, and myth. Haida villages once existed all around the islands, but after the whites arrived these once thriving people were ravaged by disease and by the effects of alcohol. Today the majority of the native population resides in the two remaining villages, Skidegate and Old Masset. To them, as well as to those living in Vancouverorin Victoria for instance, the Queen Charlotte Islands are the source of their culture and the inspiration for their arts.