Council of the Haida Nation
Encyclopedia
The Council of the Haida Nation is the Aboriginal Sovereign Authority and Government of the Haida Nation. The Haida Nation is engaged in a Title dispute of their territories, Haida Gwaii, with the government of Canada. The Haida Nation also includes portions of Alaska. The Kaigani Haida, who are the Alaskan group, are not part of the same government and are constituted separately within the Central Council Tlingit Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. There are two villagess of the Haida Nation within Canada, Old Massett and Skidegate.
The archipelago is one of the richest marine and terrestrial environments on earth. The Haida culture comes from the land with a distinct language and distinctive and renowned material culture. The Council, formed in 1973, has been involved in many conflicts over the fate of its territories, which have been claimed by Canada
since 1871, and by the Colony of British Columbia
and the Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands
prior to that. No treaties between the Crown and the governments of the Haida were ever signed, as in most of the rest of the current Canadian province of British Columbia
.
The Haida Nation has been successful in protecting over half of the one million hectares of land that make up Haida Gwaii (see Haida nation website)
The Council of the Haida Nation has a Constitution of a Nation, and has come to unique solutions in dealing with colonialism working towards Reconciliation rather then treaty. (see Haida Nation Website Kunstaguu Reconciliation Protocol)
All Haida territories were in the past also claimed by Russia
and Spain
as well as the United States. Once Russian and Spanish claims to the Haida Gwaii were given up in treaties with Britain and the United States, the islands continued to be claimed by the United States
until the British claim to them was formalized by the creation of the Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands
in 1853. Russian claims to Kaigani Haida territory were sold to the United States in 1867 with the Alaska Purchase
.
The archipelago is one of the richest marine and terrestrial environments on earth. The Haida culture comes from the land with a distinct language and distinctive and renowned material culture. The Council, formed in 1973, has been involved in many conflicts over the fate of its territories, which have been claimed by Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
since 1871, and by the Colony of British Columbia
Colony of British Columbia
The Colony of British Columbia was a crown colony in British North America from 1858 until 1866. At its creation, it physically constituted approximately half the present day Canadian province of British Columbia, since it did not include the Colony of Vancouver Island, the vast and still largely...
and the Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands
Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands
The Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands was a British colony constituting the archipelago formerly of the same name from 1853 to July 1863, when it was amalgamated into the Colony of British Columbia....
prior to that. No treaties between the Crown and the governments of the Haida were ever signed, as in most of the rest of the current Canadian province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
The Haida Nation has been successful in protecting over half of the one million hectares of land that make up Haida Gwaii (see Haida nation website)
The Council of the Haida Nation has a Constitution of a Nation, and has come to unique solutions in dealing with colonialism working towards Reconciliation rather then treaty. (see Haida Nation Website Kunstaguu Reconciliation Protocol)
All Haida territories were in the past also claimed by Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
as well as the United States. Once Russian and Spanish claims to the Haida Gwaii were given up in treaties with Britain and the United States, the islands continued to be claimed by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until the British claim to them was formalized by the creation of the Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands
Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands
The Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands was a British colony constituting the archipelago formerly of the same name from 1853 to July 1863, when it was amalgamated into the Colony of British Columbia....
in 1853. Russian claims to Kaigani Haida territory were sold to the United States in 1867 with the Alaska Purchase
Alaska purchase
The Alaska Purchase was the acquisition of the Alaska territory by the United States from Russia in 1867 by a treaty ratified by the Senate. The purchase, made at the initiative of United States Secretary of State William H. Seward, gained of new United States territory...
.