Colonial police action against the people of Haida Gwaii

Population of Haida people

Tattooed Masset Haida

Haïda canoe.

HMS Forward which engaged Haida traders in 1861

Various Imperial and colonial actions against Haida Gwaii Authorities have been undertaken since the 19th century. The indigenous peoples of Haida Gwaii often reacted violently to European and American ships which trespassed in their waters and lands. From the 18th to 19th centuries, various skirmishes took place between Haida authorities and European and American merchantmen and warships. Canadian settlers did not arrive on Haida Gwaii islands until 1900, and many Canadian colonial police actions attempted to assault the Haida Gwaii authorities and citizens. The indigenous Haida population was decimated by diseases such as smallpox which were introduced accidentally by way of Fort Victoria. The presence of foreign diseases, to which the Haida had no immunity, along with some colonial hostility, meant that the numbers of Haida citizens was reduced from tens of thousands to 588 by 1915. This erosion of Haida cultural institutions was essential to open the way for subsequent British and Canadian incursions and jurisdictional claims.

Background

Haida Gwaii

An archipelago of some 150 islands located inside the territorial waters of Canada and comprising the largest land mass of the territories of the Haida Indigenous Peoples. These territories also extend up into what is now known as the Alaskan panhandle.

Cumshewa Haida

Cumshewa is an important hereditary leader of the Haida people of Haida Gwaii on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. As of December 2, 2021 Gitkinjuaas Ronald Wilson of St'awaas X̲aaydaG̲aay holds authority over this title. His name is believed to be of either Kwak'wala or Heiltsuk (Bella Bella) origin, meaning "rich at the mouth of the river". He is mentioned by Captain George Dixon who traded with him in 1787. In 1794 Cumshewa and his warriors killed the crew of the American vessel Resolution. Cumshewa is commemorated on the map of the archipelago by Cumshewa Inlet, Cumshewa Mountain, Cumshewa Head (a point), Cumshewa Island, the Cumshewa Rocks and the modern First Nations locality of Cumshewa. In Haida language the name Gitkinjuaas is shared with the easternmost mountain on the north shore at the mouth of Cumshewa Inlet. The name translates "Mountain Person of High Standing"

Kaigani Haida

The Kaigani Haida live in Haida territories lying north of the Canadian and US border which cuts through the Dixon Entrance on Prince of Wales Island (Tlingit: Taan) in Southeast Alaska, United States. This region is part of the historical territories of the Haida Nation.

Kunghit Haida

The people of SG̱ang Gwaay llnagaay are sometimes referred to as the Kunghit Haida, now known as Ninstints. The Kunghit Haida occupied the southern portion of the archipelago of Haida Gwaii, with territory stretching from Lyell Island to the farthest southern tip of the archipelago. They had approximately two dozen permanent villages, as well as numerous other smaller seasonal settlements located near major resource areas. SG̱ang Gwaay Llanagaay was the location of several notable episodes in the early history of European contact and trade with the Haida. At the outset of the maritime fur trade, the village was visited in 1787 by George Dixon, who noted the Haidas who met them at sea were eager to trade with sea otter fur. This marked the initially amicable trade relations, where SG̱ang Gwaay Llanagaay was visited once again in 1788 by Charles Duncan, and twice in 1789 – first by Robert Gray then by his partner John Kendrick later that year, at which point the trade relationship turned hostile.

Skidegate Haida

Main article: Skidegate

Skidegate is a Haida community in Haida Gwaii (formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands) in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the southeast coast of Graham Island some 30 miles off the mainland coast of Canada.

Masset Haida

Haida historian Henry Geddes shares that the name Masset was a gift exchange between Captain and Crew of a Spanish ship rescued and repaired by the leadership of the Haida villages which now comprise the village of Masset and Old Massett Village reserve. This event preceded the arrival of British vessels.

Captain Douglas, on his second visit from Nootka Sound aboard the Iphigenia on June 19, 1789, named the bay leading to the inlet McIntyre's Bay. This name was used on the charts of Dixon and Meares. The American traders called the inlet, Hancock's River as shown in Ingraham's chart of 1792 after the American brig Hancock. In 1853 H.N. Knox of the Royal Navy, mate on HMS Virago, did a sketch survey of the harbour when the name Masset was adopted by the British. A survey was made in 1907 by Captain Learmouth on HMS Egeria. Masset is a contemporary conglomerate of four historically separate communities: Gad Gaayiwaas, Iit'aaw, Tsajughl, and Kaayang.

Incidents of Haida and foreign naval conflicts

A list of some of the incidents of violence between the Haida and European adventurers took place with Europeans following the first initial peaceful encounters between Haida and Spanish. There are no notes of any conflict between Spanish and Haida.

Year	Ship	Ship Notes	Captain	Company	Nationality	Notes
1861	HMS Forward	Albacore-class		Royal Navy	British	In 1861 a party of Haida traders were plying their wares in the vicinity of Fort Victoria when there was allegations of theft by a British citizen. HMS Forward set sail and pursued the traders as they returned to Haida Gwaii. On Cape Mudge on 17 May 1861, they caught up with the traders, and in the ensuing fight four Haida and one Englishman were killed.
1853	Virago	Steam-sloop	George Inskip	Royal Navy	British	Kunghit Haida authorities attempt to seize the ship's two long-boats with crew on July 20.
1853	Vancouver	184T	James Reid	HBC	British	Flounders on Rose Spit and destroyed by English crew to avoid seizure by Haida.
1852	Susan Sturgis	Schooner	Matthew Rooney		American	Susan Sturgis, which in 1852 was transiting the territories of various First Nations and at Skidegate provided transportation to Chief Edenshaw, who in turn provided piloting and interpreting services. After anchoring in Masset waters business commenced and according to Nangiilagadaa Siigaa (ranking Haida officer from Masset) a Haida citizen was killed and the vessel was immediately boarded by the Masset Haida. Albert E Edenshaw pacified the situation. Word reached Chief Trader John Work at Fort Simpson in ten days. Work arrived to negotiate the release of Susan Sturgis' crew at the rate of $250 each for captain and mate, and $30 for each of the men (i.e. at the dollar equivalent in blankets). The vessel could not be saved because the Masset authorities had seized and destroyed her. A year later the British ship HMS Virago came to establish British jurisdiction. However Captain Prevost couldn't prove that anyone present had taken part in the seizure of Susan Sturgis nor was he willing to engage in further conflict.
1851	Georgiana	Sloop	William Rowland		American	Founders off Cumshewa Inlet. Ship is seized by Haida and crew and passengers released for compensation.
1834	Vanoucver	Schooner	Alexander Duncann	HBC	British	Beached on Rose Spit is seized by Haida authorities on March 3.
1821	Hamilton	232T	William Martain		American	Fired into Skidegate village with the deaths of at least three citizens following the Haida's policing action on the ship's trespassing shore party.
1815	Constantin	Sloop			Russian	Haida attempt to capture the vessel at Kaigani.
1806	Vancouver	285T	Ebenzer Clinton		American	An attempt by the Skidegate Haida to seize the vessel fails.
1806	Lydia	Brig	Hill Samuel		American	Six Masset Haida citizens are held hostage for a ransom in furs paid. The ship attests that they fired on the innocent village in response to the actions of the Kaigani Haida at Kasaan a few days earlier and over a hundred miles away.
1802	Hetty		Briggs		American	Seize Haida authorities as hostage during trade.
1801	Globe		Bernard Magee		American	Captain killed by the Skidgate in October.
1799	Eliza		James Rowan	J & J. H. Perkins	American	Scotseye, a Cumshewa chief and his brother are delivered to the Kaigani for execution under Haida law.
1799	Cheerful		Beck	Macao	British	Trespassing shore party is attacked by Haida authorities and using daggers and muskets they kill the 2nd officer and two crew at Cumshewa.
1798	Alexander		Asa Dodge	Bass et al.	American	Three of the American ship's crew wounded and ten Haida citizen killed in a skirmish at Cumshewa.
1796-7	Sea Otter	Brig	Stephen Hill	R. Sturgis, Lamb, Magee & Hill	British	English captain and two crew members killed at Cumshewa.
1795	Union	Sloop 98T	John Boit	Crowell Hatcch & Caleb Gardiner	American	Attempted capture of the vessel on July 1 results in the death of 50 to 70 Kunghit Haida citizens.
1795-6	Prince William Henry	Schooner	William Wake	London or Newcastle Merchants	British	Kaigani chief held for ransom
1795	Phoenix	Barque	Hugh Moore		British	Trespassing ashore ships party is attacked and one crew member killed at Cumshewa. In retaliation the ship attacks the village. Cannons in the village fire back.
1795	Despatch	160T	Elias Newbury	Dorr & Sons	American	Detained Chief Cumshewa in exchange for the one survivor from Resolution in July
1794	Ino	Sea otter fur trader ship			British	Possibly the unknown British ship who lost its masts and while trying to find new replacements was overcome and crew killed.
1794	Resolution	90T	Robert Burling	J. & T. Lamb & Ass.	American	Captured by the Cumshewa. Only one survivor, who is enslaved.
1787	Eleanora	Brig 190T	Simon Metcalfe	Metcalfe	American	Captured by the Kunghit Haida near Houston Stewart Channel with the loss of all hands, except one, who was enslaved.
1793	Amelia	Brig	Trotter		American	Crew member killed by the Kunghit Haida.
1791-2	Hancock	Brigantine	Samuel Crowell	Cravell & Creighton	American	Ship kills four Northern Haida on July 14 over a trivial issue. Wound another Haida at Langara Island.
1791	Columbia Rediviva	212T	John Gray	American		Three crew killed by the Kaigani Haida as revenge for the earlier "Crowell incident"
1791	Lady Washington	90T	John Kendrick	Burrell, Brown et al.	American	An incident relating to Captain Kendrick and Chief Xo'ya result in a skirmish where 40 Kunghit are lost.
1789	Iphigenia Nubiana	Snow 200T	William Douglas	Burrell, Brown et al	American	Near Langara Island Haida attempt to seize the ship.
1787-89	Princess Royal	Sloop 50T	Charles Duncan	Nootka Sound Co.	British	Cumshewa Haida attempt to capture the ship. The ship opens fire.
1787	Queen Charlotte	Snow 200T	George Dixon	King Georg's Sound Co	British	After Haida attempt to recover furs the crew opens fire but do not appear to hit anyone

See also

• Queen Charlottes Gold Rush
• Colony of the Queen Charlotte Islands

Bibliography

Notes

References

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• Kennedy, Dorothy; Bouchard, Randy; Gessler, Trisha (2010). "Haida". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
• Lillard, Charles (1995). Just East of Sundown: The Queen Charlotte Islands. TouchWood Editions. ISBN 9780920663349. - Total pages: 180
• MacDonald, George F. (1983). Ninstints, Haida World Heritage Site. UBC Press. ISBN 9780774801638. - Total pages: 60
• McGillivray, Brett (2020). Geography of British Columbia: People and Landscapes in Transition, 4th Edition. UBC Press. ISBN 9780774864343. - Total pages: 256
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• Trigger, Bruce G.; Washburn, Wilcomb E.; Adams, Richard E. W.; MacLeod, Murdo J.; Salomon, Frank; Schwartz, Stuart B. (1996). The Cambridge History of the Native Peoples of the Americas: North America. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521573931. - Total pages: 500

• Walbran, John T. (2014). British Columbia Coast Names, 1592-1906: To which are Added a Few Names in Adjacent United States Territory, Their Origin and History: with Map and Illustrations. Canadian Government Printing Bureau. ISBN 9780659098627. - Total pages: 570