HAIDA

haida, a tribe of north american indians of skittagetan stock. they still occupy their original home, the queen charlotte islands, british columbia. they are skilful seamen, making long fishing expeditions in cedarwood canoes. they are noted for their carving and basket-work. they formerly made raids on the coast tribes. slavery was hereditary, the slaves being prisoners of war. the population, some 7000 in the middle of the 19th century, is now reduced to a few hundreds. see _handbook of american indians_ (washington, 1907). for "haida texts and myths," see _bull. 29 smithsonian institution bureau amer. ethnol._ (1905).