Kaigani was a major trading site for

maritime fur trade The maritime fur trade was a ship-based fur trade system that focused on acquiring furs of sea otters and other animals from the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast and natives of Alaska. The furs were mostly sold in China in ex ...

rs and the

Kaigani Haida Haida (, hai, X̱aayda, , , ) are an indigenous group who have traditionally occupied , an archipelago just off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, for at least 12,500 years. The Haida are known for their craftsmanship, trading skills, and ...

during the maritime fur trade era of approximately 1790 to 1850. The term was used for a few nearby anchorages near several Haida settlements such as

Kasaan Kasaan ( hai, Gasa'áan; tli, Kasa'aan) is a city in the Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. The population was 49 at the 2010 census, up from 39 in 2000. The name "Kasaan" comes from Tlingit , meaning "pretty town" ...

. During this time Kaigani was one of the most popular sites for trading vessels on the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

coast. Hundreds of trading vessels, mostly

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, visited during this time, mostly seeking

sea otter The sea otter (''Enhydra lutris'') is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the small ...

skins to take to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, where they commanded a high price. The term "Kaigani" was used by these traders for several harbors on the eastern side of southern

Dall Island Dall Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago off the southeast coast of Alaska, just west of Prince of Wales Island and north of Canadian waters. Its peak elevation is above sea level. Its land area is , making it the 28th largest isl ...

near

Cape Muzon Cape Muzon is a cape located in the Alexander Archipelago of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the southernmost point of Dall Island and the headland marking the northwestern extremity of the Dixon Entrance. The boundary line separating Alaska from C ...

, in southeast

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

, just north of

Haida Gwaii Haida Gwaii (; hai, X̱aaydag̱a Gwaay.yaay / , literally "Islands of the Haida people") is an archipelago located between off the northern Pacific coast of Canada. The islands are separated from the mainland to the east by the shallow Hecat ...

across

Dixon Entrance The Dixon Entrance (french: Entrée Dixon) is a strait about long and wide in the Pacific Ocean at the Canada–United States border, between the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia in Canada. The Dixon Entrance is part o ...

. The word "Kaigani" also refers to the Haida who live in this area. The word continues to be used for the general locale, as well as various geographical features in the area, such as

Kaigani Strait Kaigani Strait (also, Kaigahnee, Kaigan, Kaijani) is a waterway in the U.S. state of Alaska, the southern part of the strait between Long Island and Dall Island. The Alaska Native name, as reported by Etolin is 1833, is Kalgan. Kaigani is the na ...

, between Dall Island and

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

, Kaigani Harbors, North Kaigani Harbor, and South Kaigani Harbor. Historically the term often included nearby places such as Datzkoo Harbor and

American Bay American Bay (also Amerikanskaia, 1883 name by Etolin) is a waterway in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of Dall Island, facing Long Island across Kaigani Strait. Geography This bay indents the Dall Island shore a little m ...

. Maritime fur traders spelled Kaigani in many ways, including: Caiganne, Caigannee, Cargan, Clegauhny, Cygarney, Kaigahnee, Kigarnee, Kigahani, Kigahnee, Kigarny, Kigharnee, Kigharnee, Kly-garney, Ky-garney, and Kywannee. During the maritime fur trade era there were several Haida chiefs holding power in the Kaigani area or mentioned by the traders, such as

Cuneah Cuneah, also Gunia, Cunneah, Cunnyha, Cunniah, Coneehaw, Connehaw, Cunneaw ( Haida: ''Gəniyá'' ( 1789–1801), was the chief of Kiusta, a town at the northwestern tip of Graham Island during the era of the Maritime Fur Trade in Haida Gwaii of ...

(also spelled Cunnyha, Cunnea, Cunio), Cow (Kow, Keow), Altatsee (Altadsee, Eltatsy), Kilchart, Cotseye, Lemor (Lemmato), Douglass (Duglos, Douglas) (whose name derives from a historic name exchange with the British trader William Douglas), and others. After about 1840 the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business div ...

took over the coastal fur trade and the HBC post of

Fort Simpson Fort Simpson (Slavey language: ''Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́'' "place where rivers come together") is a village, the only one in the entire territory, in the Dehcho Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The community is located on an ...

eclipsed Kaigani as a trading site.

References

{{coord, 54.75, -132.71, display=title Fur trade History of the Pacific Northwest Native American history of Alaska Pre-statehood history of Alaska Straits of Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area, Alaska

See also

References