Kung (Haida village) facts for kids

Ḵung (also called Qañ or Dream Town) is an old Haida village. It is found on the west side of Alexandra Narrows. This is on Graham Island, which is the largest island in Haida Gwaii (X̱aayda gwaayaay). Haida Gwaii is located near British Columbia, Canada.

Alexandra Narrows connects Naden Harbour and Virago Sound. An earlier village at this spot was called ‘Nightasis’. In 1840, a fur trader named John Work recorded that it had 15 houses and 280 people.

Haida Clans at Ḵung

The village of Ḵung was home to four main Haida family groups, known as clans. These were the Staastas Eagles, Those Who Left The West Coast, the Up-inlet Town People, and one Saganusili Raven clan.

The Up-inlet Town People were the first to live in the eastern part of the village. They were joined by Those Who Left The West Coast. The Staastas Eagle clan lived on the west side of Ḵung. However, one family from the Rose Spit Raven clan, called Saganusili, also lived there. Guulas, a chief from the Up-inlet Town People clan, was a leader in the village.

Homes in Ḵung Village

In 1899, a researcher named John Swanton spoke with older people in Massett. They shared information about the homes in Ḵung during its last period of use. Here are some of the notable houses:

• House 2: This home belonged to Chief Qaskiath of the Staatas Eagles. It was named Hi'ilang Naas, which means "Thunder House."
• House 3: This house belonged to 7idansuu (Chief Albert Edward Edenshaw) of the Staastas Eagles. Its name was Sk'ulxa Haay'ad, meaning "House That Can Hold A Great Crowd of People." This house had features similar to Haida homes in Alaska. Chief 7idansuu also put up a special pole in Ḵung around the early 1860s. This pole showed Governor James Douglas.
• House 4: This home belonged to Wā'lans of the Saganusili Ravens. It was called Na Ḵehulas, or "House They Always Like to Go Into."
• House 5: This house belonged to łq!a’ndé of the Staastas Eagles. It was named Stiil Naas, which means "Steel House."
• House 8: This home belonged to Gustamalk, the Chief of Those Who Left the West Coast clan. It was named Skaawgan Naas, or "Salmon-berry House."
• House 9: This house belonged to Ḵ'aalanga (Painted) of Those Who Left the West Coast clan. It was called Sgaan Naas, meaning "Killer Whale House."
• House 10: This home belonged to Kuudada (Kodada) of Those Who Left the West Coast clan. Its name was Guujaaw Naas, or "Drum House."
• House 11: This house belonged to Kun staa'ads (Chief Kunstaits) of the Up-inlet Town People. It was named Gya'aang Kyyjaa, meaning "Valuable House Pole."
• House 12: This home belonged to Guulas (Chief Abalone) of the Up-inlet Town People. The name of this house was not recorded.

Moving from Ḵung

In 1853, people from the village of Kiusta moved to Ḵung. Chief Albert Edward Edenshaw (7idansuu) from Kiusta led his people to Ḵung. This move was part of larger movements of Haida people in the late 1800s. These changes happened because many people were lost due to diseases.

The Haida people faced several smallpox outbreaks. Before 1770, there were about 20,000 Haida people. By the late 1800s, this number dropped to less than 600. The 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic alone caused the loss of over 70% of the Haida population.

In 1878, a surveyor and geologist named George Mercer Dawson visited Ḵung. He saw 8 to 10 decaying homes, some still lived in, facing the water. After Dawson's visit, the remaining residents moved from Ḵung to a larger area called G̲aaw (Old Massett). In 1884, another surveyor, Newton Chittenden, visited Ḵung. By then, it was no longer a permanent village. However, the site was still used as a halibut fishing camp, with temporary shelters built there.

For many years, ancestral remains from Haida grave sites, including Ḵung, were kept in museums far away. For example, George Amos Dorsey collected remains from Ḵung that were stored at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. The Haida Repatriation Committee and the Haida Heritage Centre at Ḵay 'Llnagaay have been working hard to bring these ancestors home. They are working to return over 500 Haida ancestral remains from museums around the world back to Haida Gwaii for traditional burial.

In 2010, the Haida Heritage and Repatriation Society suggested taking canoes to villages like Yan, Ḵung, and Kiusta. The idea was to hold ceremonies there to honor the Haida people who were lost during the smallpox outbreaks. Similar ceremonies have taken place at sites like Bones Bay. These ceremonies honor the kuuniisii (ancestors) who died during these difficult times.

Ḵung Indian Reserve

Today, the site of Ḵung is part of the Kung Indian Reserve No. 11, or Kung 11. The Old Massett Village Council of the Haida Nation manages this reserve. It covers an area of 28.7 hectares (about 71 acres).