Haida

The Haida are Indigenous people of Haida Gwaii and neighbouring parts of the Pacific Northwest. Raven, Eagle, Bear and Killer Whale appear in their carved art and historical tattoos.

These figures could be family crests rather than decoration anyone could choose. Wearing them connected a person with inherited names, stories and rights. A bear across the chest or an animal on an arm could tell something about the wearer's background.

Thunderbird and Killer Whale also feature in the wider Northwest Coast's dramatic imagery. Some coastal stories describe a battle between bird and whale that raises the sea. The stories differ between nations and families, rather than following one shared version.

Haida communities are organised through Raven and Eagle moieties, each containing different clans. Designs on skin, house fronts and crest poles show how the same family imagery could surround a person in several forms.