Old Massett Village Council

Location: Haida Gwaii
Band members: 2,600
On reserve: 700
The total reserve area in Old Massett consists of 26 reserves on 907.7 hectares.

Introduction:

Old Massett is located on Graham Island, in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). Old Massett, also known as Haida Village, is named after Maast Island, a small island in Massett Sound. The band has 2,600 registered band members, and Old Massett is home to approximately 700 Haida.  Old Massett is the administrative seat of the Council of the Haida Nation.

History:

During the end of the last ice age, from 13,000 to 11,000 years ago, sea levels were lower, and the land between Haida Gwaii and the mainland, in what is now Hecate Strait, was likely inhabited by ancestors of the Haida and Tlingit.  Archeological sites in Haida Gwaii date settlement to 9000 years before present, though habitation of Haida Gwaii and the grassy plains between Haida Gwaii and the mainland may have existed as long as 13,000 years ago, making it the oldest known habitation in North America.  As recounted in Haida stories of the great flood, sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age approximately 10,000 years ago, and the Haida came to occupy what is now Haida Gwaii.

Five thousand years ago, archeological records indicate that the islands supported a large Haida population who hunted, fished, and harvested shellfish, berries and plants.  Haida settlements were large and stable, with more than 100 villages throughout Haida Gwaii.  Intertidal and inshore waters provided abundant shellfish and other marine species that allowed for the establishment of large permanent villages.   Superior watercraft and seamanship also allowed Haida to travel from their villages to conduct warfare against mainland tribes.  (for more detail, see  www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/haindexe.html#menu). 

Haida culture had a complex social organization and artistic expression. Dwellings, watercraft, tools and art objects were sophisticated and elaborate.  However, exposure to the pressures of European culture led to a rapid demise in the 19th century of Haida populations and traditional way of life.  Before European contact, estimates of the Haida population range from about 10,000 to as high as 30,000. By 1911, after the smallpox epidemic and the introduction of influenza and venereal disease, only 589 Haida remained.  Missionaries encouraged the survivors to leave village sites around the islands, and to regroup into two villages where there were churches and hospitals.  These two communities became Old Massett on the north end of Graham Island and Skidegate on the south end.

The Hudson's Bay Company operated a trading post at the site of Old Massett from 1869 to 1898.  From the 1830’s onwards, people of Massett and surrounding villages also traded at the Hudson Bay Company in Fort Simpson (Lak’kwalaams).  While on the mainland, they fished and sold tradable goods, including large quantities of potatoes that the Haida cultivated.

Culture & Community:

In 1996, the Old Massett Village Council voted to establish a Cultural Committee to work on developing the Haida Heritage Policy.  In 2005, The Village Council’s Repatriation Committee, working in collaboration with the community, Haida artists, and local schools, was granted the right to recover Haida ancestral remains home from museums around the world.  Many of these remains were located in the UBC Museum of Anthropology and the Canadian Museum of Civilization. This endeavor was regarded as a highly important community project.  On June 21, 2005, an End of Mourning Potlatch was held in Skidegate to commemorate the return home of all Haida ancestral remains, close to 500 in total, from North American sources.

The Haida have worked in cooperation with a number of Federal agencies to create virtual museum sites showcasing their history, art, and culture for projects.  For example, the Canadian Museum of Civilization web-page and the Canada Pavilion exhibits at a number of Expos on Haida art and culture (www.civilization.ca/aborig/grand/grandeng.html).  In addition to promoting Haida culture at an international level, the Expo project provided the opportunity to train and employ youth from the community.

In Old Massett is the band office, community hall, office building, a warehouse, school (K - 4), longhouse, drug and alcohol counseling, elder's Center, and group home. In 2005, Northwest Community College established a new campus in nearby Masset that provides post-secondary training.

Economy:

Fishing and forestry have been the main economic sectors on Haida Gwaii for the past century.  Currently, activity in these industries include, among other activities, work for forest companies, as well band management of forestry tenures, a band-owned roe-on-kelp license, and salmon enhancement. Tourism, secondary wood manufacturing, as well as arts and crafts, have increased in importance in the last ten years.  More than 40 artisans currently reside in Old Massett, providing an important cultural and economic base in the village.

Old Massett is located approximately 5km northwest the mostly-non Haida civic village of Masset.  The communities maintain separate local governments, but are collaborating on the construction of a new, $10-million hospital, a $6-million sewer upgrade and a water-sharing agreement.

Government:

Old Massett is governed by the Old Massett Village Council. The council consists of an elected council of seven councilors and a Chief councilor. The Council is supported by a public administration, including the Economic Development and Heritage Resource Staff who deliver programs and services to meet the cultural and economic needs of Old Massett.  Past development initiatives include providing housing loans to Old Massett residents and constructing a Family Centre that provides social support programs.

The Council of the Haida Nation and the Old Massett Village Council appoint 50% of the directors to other community groups, including the Gwaii Trust, the Haida Gwaii Marine Resources Group Association (which works in partnership with Fisheries Renewal BC), and the Greater Massett Development Corporation. 

In 2000, the Haida initiated court action over the transfer of a forestry lease, on the basis that the Haida nation had not been consulted. On February 27, 2002, the B.C. Court of Appeal found that British Columbia and Weyerhaeuser are under a legally enforceable duty to consult with the Haida and to accommodate Haida interests. Weyerhaeuser and B.C. appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.  In March 2004, in a precedent setting case, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that governments must consult with and accommodate aboriginal groups affected by land and resource developments (for more information, please see www.gov.bc.ca/arr/negotiation/first_nations_in_the_process/haida_nation.htm).

In 2002, the Council of the Haida Nation also initiated a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of B.C. asserting title over the "land, inland waters, seabed and sea" of Haida Gwaii such that the Haida sought compensation, return of land and title, as well an moratorium on further government granted tenures and licenses.  Pending resolution of this case, the Council of the Haida Nation and the Province have agreed to co-manage a land-use planning process for Haida Gwaii.  A planning process framework for the management of this process was signed by both parties in 2003.

References (for more information, please see):

Council of the Haida Nation www.haidanation.ca

Canadian Museum of Civilization www.civilization.ca/aborig/grand/grandeng.html
www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/haindexe.html#menu
www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/hvmas03e.html

British Columbia First Nations www.bcfn.org/profile/old_massett.htm

Aboriginal Canada Portal www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca

British Columbia Ministry of Forests  www.for.gov.bc.ca/haida

British Columbia Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliations www.gov.bc.ca/arr/negotiation/first_nations_in_the_process/haida_nation.htm

Legal history http://faculty.law.ubc.ca/mccue/files/Haida%20v%20Weyerhaeuser%202004bcsc1243.htm

British Columbia Treaty Commission www.bctreaty.net/nations_3/haida.html

www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Haida/java/english/c+o/co2a.html