Lá Fhéile Pádraig

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Today, the Irish culture gets celebrated all over the world. Today's post has its title in the Irish language (Gaeilge, Gaelic).

In the photo above, we see a door inside the carving shed at Hydaburg, Alaska--a celebration of the Haida (Xaadas) culture. The carvers have taped examples of the Haida language, Xaad kil, on this door--and all around the building--to help them learn and to keep their endangered Native language alive.

Movie Overview

Hundreds of languages all over the world near extinction. The Haida language, Xaad kil, is one of them. However, the Xaadas (Haida people) still have some fluent elder speakers and young kids continue to learn Xaad kil.

Erma Lawrence (96) helps Benjamin Young (22) with Xaad kil.
Though perhaps near the brink, Xaad kil Xiinangaagang! (Haida Lives!) Thus the title and inspiration for my short documentary. The movie will be a message in a bottle, a postcard from the Xaadas culture--we are here! Don't call it a comeback, we've been here for years.

I just spent a month on Prince of Wales Island, in Kasaan and Hydaburg, working on material for the documentary. Now, I have begun the hard part of putting everything together into a understandable form. Stay tuned!

Origins Overview

The Xaadas came to present day Alaska from what is now the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia, Canada. From Masset on Graham Island, they headed north across Dixon Entrance.

They landed somewhere around Cape Muzon at the southern tip of Dall Island. This area is now known as "Kaigani" and the Xaadas in Alaska are known as "Kaigani Haida". Some Xaadas settled on islands of the Cordova Bay area, thus the villages of Howkan, Klinkwan, and Sukkwan.

Some headed East around Cape Chacon and along the southern coast of Prince of Wales Island. These Xaadas eventually settled in Gasa'aan (Kasaan), or what is now called "Old Kasaan". Gasa'aan was first a Tlingit village and the name means "Pretty Town" in the Tlingit language.

In the early 1900s, the people abandoned their homes and the village, Old Kasaan, and moved to "New" Kasaan, after being encouraged to move with the offer of employment in a fish cannery there.

Xaadas Guusuu Xaad Kil

Xaad kil (Haida language) is the language spoken by the Xaadas (Haida people). "Guusuu" means "speak". So, Xaadas guusuu Xaad kil. ("Hod-oss goosoo Hod kill")

In Alaska, we have the Kaigani Xaadas, living in the villages of Hydaburg and Kasaan on Prince of Wales Island. My dad and his family grew up in Kasaan. My great-grandfather was born in Karta Bay, though the permanent village was Gasa'aan, what is now considered "Old Kasaan".

My interest in documenting and learning Xaad kil comes from my family background. In 2007, I made a short documentary, SURVIVING SOUNDS OF HAIDA, 8 minutes showing a few of our remaining Kasaan Xaadas descendants sharing some of their Xaad kil. I really want to make movies in Xaad kil.

Many people consider Xaad kil to be extinct. On the contrary! Though near the brink, we still have a few first speakers and some younger Xaadas learning their language. Thus, Xaad kil xiinangaanang! (Haida Lives!)