Haida Village Life

The Haida produced a very simple political structure. This structure included commoners, slaves, and nobles. Nobles had the right to hunt. Commoners could hunt, but only at a price. At the top of the class structure were the nobles and their immediate family. In the middle were the commoners and the extended family of the chief. The bottom ground were the slaves, they did not have any rights at all.

The Haida kept slaves that they captured in raids and tribal warfare. These slaves were always male. The slaves were assigned tasks to complete. Craftsmen and fishermen of society filled sacred roles so they were always given freedom, and never enslaved. Slaves were also traded in Potlaches. Eventually the government outlawed slavery.

Titles and wealth among the Haida were passed on through the mother's side of the family. The Haida tried to stay away from getting into wars with tribes with the same social structure. There was an expected hospitality from members of these villages whether they knew the person or not. The social rank meant much more to the Haida than tribal status. Potlaches helped to recognize an individuals status in the village. Marriage was not an occasion for a potlach because it didn't involve a change in social status.