Gidansda Giindajin Haawasti Guujaaw, also known as Gary Edenshaw, is a singer,

wood carver Wood carving is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculptural ornamentation ...

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

practitioner, political

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

and leader. He of Gakyaals Kiiqawaay, a

Haida Haida may refer to: Places * Haida, an old name for Nový Bor * Haida Gwaii, meaning "Islands of the People", formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands * Haida Islands, a different archipelago near Bella Bella, British Columbia Ships * , a 1 ...

family of the Raven

moiety Moiety may refer to: Chemistry * Moiety (chemistry), a part or functional group of a molecule ** Moiety conservation, conservation of a subgroup in a chemical species Anthropology * Moiety (kinship), either of two groups into which a society is ...

. He has currently inherited the name Gidansda from his potlatch in 2017, the title of Gakyaals Kiiqawaay hereditary leader. The family's alternate name, "Skedans", is an anglicized mispronunciation of the family's hereditary leader's title.

Biography

is a Haida

matrilineally Matrilineality is the tracing of kinship through the female line. It may also correlate with a social system in which each person is identified with their matriline – their mother's lineage – and which can involve the inheritance ...

descended from , a family of the Raven moiety from the village of

Skedans Skedans, also known variously as Koona, Q'una, Koona LLnaagay, K'uuna Llnagaay, Q!o'na Inaga'-I, Q:o'na, and Ḵ'uuna Llnagaay which are variants of its traditional name in the Haida language, is a village located at the head of Cumshewa Inlet in ...

(). He was born in

Masset Masset , formerly ''Massett'', is a village in Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on Masset Sound on the northern coast of Graham Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately west of mainland British Col ...

, named in

, on the northern part of Haida Gwaii. His father, , is matrilineally descended from the Eagle moiety from the

Yakoun River The Yakoun River is the largest river on Haida Gwaii, off the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Estimated to be in length, it is located on Graham Island, the northernmost and largest of the archipelago, and runs in a twisting course genera ...

. means drum, a name formally given him at a potlatch at Kiusta. began going out onto the land at a young age, digging cockles, picking seaweed with his mother, hunting and fishing with his father and trapping with his uncle. In his infancy he spent summers with his great-grandmother who lived to be 114 years old. She was a singer who taped over 100 songs and became the greatest influence on his life. Elders also played an important role in 's growth and understanding of the world. It was through this engagement with their wisdom and the old ways that undertook journeys around the Islands by row-boat and canoes, often alone. He knows the ways of the Islands as well as anyone. has worked with the

Council of the Haida Nation The Council of the Haida Nation ("CHN") (''X̱aaydaG̱a Waadlux̱an Naay'') is the elected government of the Haida Nation. The council consists of a president and vice-president elected by popular vote, twelve regional representatives from four ele ...

for the past twenty years to secure the protection of some areas of the Islands as well as pushing for more care and sustainable use of Island resources. He was in the forefront of the fight for the protection of (South Moresby) and took part in the blockades of logging operations at Lyell Island in the mid-1980s. Today, he is a member of the Archipelago Management Board which co-manages, with the Government of Canada, . He has been involved in developing the policies and strategies of the

, and has served as the negotiator for the Council of the Haida Nation and worked to develop guidelines and policies towards the protection of living Haida archaeological sites (

culturally modified trees Culturally modified tree (aka CMT) is a tree modified by indigenous people as part of their tradition. Such trees are important sources for the history of certain regions. The term is used in western Canada and the United States. In British Col ...

). He has held the official position of 'Firekeeper' for the Hereditary Chiefs of Haida Gwaii. has been a regular contributor to — the official publication of the Council of the Haida Nation. He is a dedicated teacher working to pass songs and dances on to the next generation within the broader context of Haida culture. His love for the land and understanding of the vulnerability of life has put him in the position of devoting much of his adulthood to fighting the forces that are changing the land. Today continues to balance carving with his many other roles which include; political activist, teacher, medicinal practitioner, historian, and performer. His son

Gwaai Edenshaw Gwaai Edenshaw is a Haida people, Haida artist and filmmaker from Canada. Along with Helen Haig-Brown, he co-directed ''Edge of the Knife'' (), the first Haida language feature film. Background The son of noted Haida artist Guujaaw (Gary Edens ...

is an artist and film director, most noted as co-director of the first-ever Haida-language feature-length film ''

Edge of the Knife ''Edge of the Knife'' ( hai, SG̲aawaay Ḵ'uuna, ) is a 2018 Canadian drama film co-directed by Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown. It is the first feature film spoken only in the Haida language. Set in 19th-century Haida Gwaii, it tells the c ...

'' ().

References

Bibliography and further reading

* Skidegate Text and Histories by Swanton ...Enrico (with a foreword by Guujaaw) * Haida Gwaii by Fedje and Mathews (with a foreword by Guujaaw) * Mycelium Running by Paul Stamats (Guujaaw note) * Raven Travelling (Guujaaw quote and art) *Neel, David. The Great Canoes: Reviving a Northwest Coast Tradition. Douglas & McIntyre. 1995. *''The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed'', By John Vaillant. W. W. Norton & Co. 2005. *''David Suzuki: The Autobiography'',

David Suzuki David Takayoshi Suzuki (born March 24, 1936) is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster, and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a PhD in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department at th ...

. Greystone Books. 2006. *''All That We Say Is Ours: Guujaaw and the Reawakening of the Haida Nation'',

Ian Gill Ian Gill is an Australian-Canadian writer, documentary filmmaker, and social entrepreneur. He has been the director of Ecotrust Canada since 1994. Before that he worked as a reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Gill was president ...

. 2009. (Shortlisted for BC Book Prize and nominated for the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Book Prize)

External links

* http://guujaaw.info * http://www.haidanation.ca/Pages/CHN/Guujaaw_Pop-Up.html * http://archive.ecotrust.org/news/news_archive/guujaaw-wins-award_20060719.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Guujaaw, Gidansda 1953 births Living people 20th-century Canadian artists 20th-century First Nations people 21st-century Canadian artists 21st-century First Nations people Haida woodcarvers Indigenous leaders in British Columbia