Old Massett Village Council

The Haida people are an Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest whose traditional territory encompasses Haida Gwaii, an archipelago of islands off the northwest coast of the Canadian province of British Columbia, and parts of southeastern Alaska. Haida of Old Massett are from communities which spoke X̱aad Kíl, the northern dialect of the Haida language.^[4] The northern Haida inhabited the northern half of Graham Island, including other smaller islands like Langara and Hippa Islands. Their major villages included Kung (Haida: Ḵang), Hiellen (Haida: Hl'yaalan 'Llngée), Dadens (Haida: Daadans), Kiusta (Haida: K’yuusda), and Yan (Haida: Yáan 'Llngée).^[5][6]

Old Massett was created in the mid 19th century by the consolidation of many northern Haida villages in the wake of the smallpox epidemic of 1862. It was first the location of a Hudson's Bay Company post in 1850.^[7] In 1876, it became an Anglican mission, led by Rev. William H. Collison of the Church Missionary Society. That same year, the Haida were defined as Indians under the newly introduced Indian Act.^[8] In 1882, the Massett Band was allotted sixteen reserves, which amounted to 752.4 hectares (1,859 acres), by reserve commissioner Peter O'Reilly.^[9]

In 1886, Massett was part of the North West Coast Indian Agency, which was headquartered in Metlakatla.^[10] In 1910, the North West Coast Agency was subdivided, and Massett and Skidegate became part of the Queen Charlotte Indian Agency.^[11] This new agency introduced a full-time Indian agent who lived in Old Massett, subjecting the Haida to close government supervision for the first time.^[12] The band was governed by the Indian agent, with the support of the band council.^[13] The band council was formed in 1910, and consisted of seven elected community members, most of whom were graduates of the former Anglican Industrial school in Metlakatla.^[14]

In 1913, band members provided testimony to the McKenna–McBride Commission, rejecting the imposition of reserves and demanding allotments that were equal to those given to other First Nations in the province.^[15] The Commission resulted in the allotment of five additional reserves.^[9]

In 1966, the Queen Charlotte Agency was combined with the Naas Agency, which was based in Prince Rupert, ending the close oversight by an Indian Agent which had been in place since 1910.^[12] Eight years later, in 1974, the Council of the Haida Nation was formed to collectively represent Canadian Haida, with the specific mandate of settling land claims on Haida Gwaii.^[16] The band councils would maintain governing powers over social and economic development, education, and healthcare. The economic development included the establishment of the Yakoun River Hatchery in partnership with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in 1978, which sought to rebuild the salmon population of the Yakoun River.^[17]

Like other First Nation band governments, OMVC's registered population includes only status Indians as defined in the Indian Act, who are registered with the band. It therefore does not include individuals who are descended from the band, but have lost their status or are registered with a different band.^[18]

As of August 2026, Old Massett Village Council had 3,352 registered members. 703 members lived on reserve and 2,649 lived off reserve.^[1] The number of band members has been increasing from the historic low of 350 members in 1915.^[19]

Though the total band membership has been increasing, the population on the two inhabited reserves, Masset 1 and Tlaa Gaa Aawtlaas 28, has been decreasing, with a 19.6% decrease between 2006 and 2016.^[20]

The band council comprises eight members, with one chief councillor and seven council members. Elections are held every three years.^[24] The 2023–2026 council is:^[25]

• Donald Edgars (Chief Councillor)
• Lisa Bell
• Cecil Brown
• Robert Brown
• Benjamin Edgars
• Ashley Jacobson
• Brodie Swanson
• Lisa White

The primary governing body for the Haida people in Canada is the Council of the Haida Nation (CHN). Old Massett Village Council, alongside Skidegate Band Council, functions as a village government, while the CHN functions as a national government. OMVC is therefore responsible for membership, social development, education and healthcare.^[3]

In 2014, Old Massett Village Council completed construction of the Hiellen Longhouse Village, a series of 7 cabins located on Hiellen Indian Reserve No. 2, in Naikoon Provincial Park.^[26]

Old Massett Village Council is responsible for the administration of Chief Matthews School (Haida: Chief Matthews Sk’adáa Née^[2]), a K-4 elementary school, which provides instruction in Haida.^[27] The school was first opened in 1994, and is named after longtime Chief Councillor and advocate for education Chief William Matthews.^[28]

In 2018, the band council established X̱aad Kíl Née (the Haida Language Office), to provide instruction and resources for learning X̱aad Kíl, the northern dialect of the Haida language.^[29]

Old Massett Village Council has 27 reserves, whose combined total area is 9.7 square kilometres (2,400 acres), with the main reserve being Masset 1. The majority of the reserves are located on Graham Island (Haida: X̲aaydaɢ̲a Gwaay.yaay Iinaɢ̲waay),^[30] with 4 located on the nearby Langara Island (Haida: K’iis Gwaay).^[31] Reserves numbered 1-16 were part of the initial allotment by reserve commissioner Peter O'Reilly in 1882. Numbers 17-21 were allotted by Royal Commission in 1916.^[9]

The band is classified as a Zone 4, Sub-zone 1 geographic zone by CIRNAC, meaning that there is no year-round road access, leading to a higher coast of transportation, and that they are between 50 km and 160 km from the nearest service centre (Prince Rupert).^[32]

• Haida people
• Haida language
• Skidegate Band Council
• Council of the Haida Nation