Old Massett Explained

Old Massett, named G̱aw in X̱aad kíl, is an Indigenous Canadian village on Graham Island in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. It lies on the east side of Masset Sound close to the town of Masset; the area of land it is on is legally designated Masset Indian Reserve No. 1, or Masset 1. The original name of the settlement was Uttewas, meaning "white-slope village" in the Haida language. It is populated by Haida people of both Ḵuustak, the Eagle matrilineage, and Ḵayx̱al, the Raven matrilineage. The town is administered by the Old Massett Village Council. Its population has fluctuated over the last one hundred and fifty years; smallpox, especially the 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic, drastically reduced its numbers in the late 1800s, but in 1968, it had over 1,000 people and was the largest village in Haida Gwaii.^[1] In 2009, the Village Council counted 2,698 band members in the area;^[2] the 2016 census counted 555 living at the Old Massett townsite.^[3]

Culture

Old Massett is home to a number of totem poles:^[4]

• Chief Matthews pole by Reg Davidson
• Geoffrey White Memorial pole by Christian White
• Medicine pole by Christian White
• Morris White pole by Christian White
• Skilay (Ernie Collison) by Jim Hart
• Family Center pole by Vernon White
• New Town poles by Todd and Derek White
• Hospital poles by Jordan Seward and Cooper Wilson
• Old Massett poles by Donnie Edenshaw and Jaalen Edenshaw
• Playing field poles by Lawrence Bell
• Morris White memorial pole by Jim Hart and Christian White
• St John's Church pole by Robert Davidson
• Amanda Edgar's memorial pole by Paul White
• Sharkhouse pole by Reg Davidson
• gyaaGang Monumental pole by Kilthguulans Christian White

Popular culture

Some Old Massett artists star on the Knowledge Network television series Ravens and Eagles.^[5]

External links

• Language notes, First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia

54.04°N -132.188°W

Notes and References

1. Book: Dalzell, Kathleen. The Queen Charlotte Islands, book 2 : of places and names. 1973. Cove Press. Prince Rupert, B.C.. 9780969052814. 379–380.
2. Web site: Council of the Haida Nation. Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. Province of British Columbia. 6 July 2013.
3. Web site: Masset 1, Census Profile 2016 Census. 2016 Census Profile. February 8, 2017 . Statistics Canada. 20 July 2018.
4. News: The totem poles of Haida Gwaii . Haida Gwaii . 30 . Haida Gwaii Observer . 2018 .
5. News: Old Massett . Haida Gwaii . Haida Gwaii Observer . 55 . 2018.