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Tsimshian, Haida, Heiltsuk, Gitksan, Wet’suwet’en First Nations: northwest coastal and interior British Columbia, Canada (anthropologist, Karl Frost) |
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A rough map of First Nations of the northwest coastal and mountain region of BC, Canada. Note: These are rough indicators of historical language boundaries and not precise political boundaries. Moreover, in most cases, the language group was not synonymous with political boundaries, and the “Nation” was not the primary political authority, but the smaller, local house or clan group. These groups all share a history of matrilineal descent and governance through the feast complex (sometimes referred to as “potlaches”). These ritual feasts, the center of traditional governance were illegal in Canada until recently, but were maintained in continuity in secret. Feast hall governance is now seeing resurgence as the houses and clans fight for their sovereign rights against the colonial government. While Canada has worked to disrupt the matrilineal social order and impose its own band council system of governance, court victories in Canada in the last decades have established that these nations never surrendered sovereignty and that the feast hall government is the legitimate authority, not the band councils, on historical indigenous land. |
First Nations in north coastal and mountain BC say “the feast hall is the court house”. Yahgulaanaas/janaas held this feast because two of their clan litlxaidagaa (“chiefs”) had been caught cooperating with the Enbridge oil company for money, against the wishes of the clan matriarchs and the clan, and the clan called together witnesses from other clans and nations to strip the two of their names and positions. This “Divide and Conquer” strategy of corrupting individuals and getting to to act against their traditional mandate has plagued indigenous groups in North america, and this historic feast was held to set an example of how to set things right. Since then, other nations have been holding similar feasts, using traditional governance institutions to counter colonial industry in the region. |
Heiltsuk trolling for salmon, near Bella Bella, 2015 Recent archaeological surveys of the Bella Bella area indicate this site was occupied over 14,000 years ago, making it the oldest documented settlement in North America, with regular, if not continuous, occupation since then. The Heiltsuk have oral traditions which talk about being able to survive in this location during the last ice age in an unfrozen strip of land, here. Continuous feast hall territorial tenure accounts of the Heiltsuk and neighboring nations document Heiltsuk control of the region at least since many hundreds of years before Europeans came to the area. Salmon are the center of life in the region. Catching and preserving salmon allowed for an incredible bounty which allowed for the development of sophisticated societies and cultural practices that in other parts of the world required the advent of agriculture. First Nations now use different tools for fishing, but fish is still the core of regional culture. |
Preserving the seasonal bounty of migrating salmon is what allowed for material accumulation and the resulting cultural complexification of northwest coast and mountain First Nations. Even with other contemporary forms of preserving, like canning and freezing, smoked salmon is still treasured. |
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Building construction on Unist’ot’en land occupation against pipeline construction, on the Witsin Kwa (Morice River) near Houston, BC 2014 The Unist’ot’en are the biggest of clan of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation. After consultation about potential environmental impacts and discussions about Unist’ot’en responsibilities to the global environment re climate change, the Unsit’ot’en elders directed Freda Huson (bottom row, third from left) to lead a land occupation on their traditional territories, both to facilitate use of their territory and to block illegal industrial activity on their land. Since the 1980s, there has been a growing alliance between non-indigenous environmental activists and grassroots First Nations sovereignty activists. When the Unist’ot’en began their occupation, they put out the call for help and non-indigenous activists rallied behind them to help. as Dave Ages (bottom row, far right) put it, “The fight is on First Nations land, but it is all of our fight”. Together, we have constructed a cabin, a bunk house for year round housing of activists (pictured), a traditional pit house, and a 3 story cultural center for decolonial healing work, all placed on proposed pipeline routes. The Unist’ot’en for 9 years resisted various oil and gas pipelines, but finally in 2019, the Trudeau government has succeeded in enforcing an injunction against the Unist’ot’en on their own territories, and land clearing for pipeline construction is underway. Fights continue in the courts, and with spring coming, activists are beginning to descend on the area. The situation is hard to predict. |
The eel grass of Flora Banks at low tide off Lelu Island, near Prince Rupert, territory of the Gitwilgyoots house of the Tsimshian First Nation, 2016 Flora Banks sits at the mouth of the Skeena River, the third largest salmon river in the world, which has fed First Nations for thousands of years through the north of what is now British Columbia. The eel grass of Flora Banks is essential transition habitat for the salmon of the Skeena, as it migrates from fresh to salt water and goes through the changes necessary to survive in the sea. In 2015 the Malaysian petrochemical company Petronas proposed building a liquified natural gas (LNG) export facility on Flora Banks which marine biologists claimed would wipe out the salmon of the Skeena. In response Gitwilgyoots, along with indigenous and no-indigenous allies, set up an occupation on the island which succeeded in blocking this $40 billion project, saving the Skeena salmon, lifeblood of the people of the region.
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If there is a pretty photo of a skilled artist working on a beautiful piece, whose “art” is the photograph? Click here for a description of an interesting conversation i had with carver, Jordon Seward. |
The tight weave of these traditional cedar bark hats made durable, waterproof head coverings. They are still used today in formal gatherings. |
made from very old “monumental” cedar trees, these carved poles are famous the world over and the Haida are among the most famous pole carvers. The pole here was commissioned for a private art gallery in Whistler, BC and took carver Gwaii and his crew a year and a half to carve. Gwaii also directed the new film, Edge of the Knife (2018) (starring Tyler York), telling a traditional Haida story in the Haida language. Because of the abusive cultural suppression of the Canadian government, only 11 people are left alive who grew up speaking Haida, but the language is currently seeing a resurgence. The film is currently touring film festivals and racking up a series of awards. |
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Raven Always Sets Things Right, a feast held by the Yahgulaanaas/janaas clan of the Haida First Nation, old Masset, Haida Gwaii, 2016
Gitksan salmon smokehouse for preserving salmon, Madii Lii camp, near the Hazeltons, 2018
White raven mask dancer, Raven Always Sets Things Right feast, Old Masset, Haida Gwaii, 2016
Haida/Squamish carver, Jordon Seward, doing finishing work on a cedar mask, Old Masset, Haida Gwaii 2018
Haida weaver, Marlene Little, working on a cedar bark hat, Old Masset, Haida Gwaii 2018
Haida carver, Tyler York, Old Masset, Haida Gwaii 2018