{{Use Canadian English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox settlement | name = Masset 1 | native_name = Gaw Tlagée | native_name_lang = hai | settlement_type = First Nation reserve | image_skyline = OldMasset.JPG | imagesize = | image_alt = | image_caption = Old Massett, from the Masset town pier | nickname = Old Massett | mapframe = yes | coordinates = {{coord|54.040|-132.188|type:city_region:CA-BC|display=title, inline}} | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = {{CAN}} | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = {{BC}} | subdivision_type2 = Regional district | subdivision_name2 = North Coast | subdivision_type3 = Region | subdivision_name3 = Haida Gwaii | government_type = Band government | governing_body = Old Massett Village Council | area_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-11-14|title=Reserve/Settlement/Village Detail |url=https://fnp-ppn.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/FNP/Main/Search/RVDetail.aspx?RESERVE_NUMBER=07664&lang=eng |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada}}</ref> | area_total_ha = 299.6 | population_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2022-02-09 |title=Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Masset 1, Indian reserve (IRI) [Census subdivision], British Columbia |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Masset+1&DGUIDlist=2021A00055947803&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0 |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref> | population_as_of = 2021 | population_total = 475 | population_density_km2 = auto | timezone = PST | utc_offset = −8 | timezone_DST = PDT | utc_offset_DST = −7 | blank_name = Highways | blank_info = {{jct|state=BC|TCH|16}} }} '''Old Massett''' ({{Langx|hai|Gaw Tlagée}}) is a reserve on Graham Island in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. It lies on the east side of Masset Sound close to the town of Masset; the area of land it is on is legally designated '''Masset Indian Reserve No. 1''', or '''Masset 1'''. The original name of the settlement was '''Uttewas''', meaning "white-slope village" in the Haida language. It is populated by Haida people of both Ḵuustak, the Eagle matrilineage, and Ḵayx̱al, the Raven matrilineage. The town is administered by the Old Massett Village Council. Its population has fluctuated over the last one hundred and fifty years; smallpox, especially the 1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic, drastically reduced its numbers in the late 1800s, but in 1968, it had over 1,000 people and was the largest village in Haida Gwaii.<ref name=Dalzell>{{cite book|last=Dalzell|first=Kathleen|title=The Queen Charlotte Islands, book 2 : of places and names|year=1973|publisher=Cove Press|location=Prince Rupert, B.C.|isbn=9780969052814|pages=379–380}}</ref> In 2009, the Village Council counted 2,698 band members in the area;<ref name=MinARR>{{cite web|title=Council of the Haida Nation|url=http://www.gov.bc.ca/arr/firstnation/haida_nation/default.html|work=Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation|publisher=Province of British Columbia|accessdate=6 July 2013}}</ref> the 2021 census counted 475 living at the Old Massett townsite.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2022-02-09 |title=Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Masset 1, Indian reserve (IRI) [Census subdivision], British Columbia |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=Masset+1&DGUIDlist=2021A00055947803&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0 |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>
== History == Indian Reserve Masset 1 was allotted by reserve commissioner Peter O'Reilly in July 1882, in his visit to Haida Gwaii. He chose to create a single reserve from the two villages, Uttewas and Kayung, the latter of which he describes as being nearly abandoned. This reserve would measure about 770 acres, not including the land owned by the Hudson's Bay Company and the Church Mission Society.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item?id=1882-IAAR-RAAI&op=pdf&app=indianaffairs&lang=eng |title=Annual Report of the Department of Indian Affairs |last=Department of Indian Affairs |date=1882 |publisher=Dominion of Canada |location=Ottawa |page=180 |access-date=2025-01-25 |format=PDF}}</ref>
==Culture==
Old Massett is home to a number of totem poles:<ref>{{cite news | title=The totem poles of Haida Gwaii |work=Haida Gwaii |page=30 | publisher=Haida Gwaii Observer |year=2018 }}</ref> *''Chief Matthews pole'' by Reg Davidson *''Geoffrey White Memorial pole'' by Christian White * ''Medicine pole'' by Christian White *''Morris White pole'' by Christian White *''Skilay (Ernie Collison)'' by Jim Hart *''Family Center pole'' by Vernon White *''New Town poles'' by Todd and Derek White *''Hospital poles'' by Jordan Seward and Cooper Wilson *''Old Massett poles'' by Donnie Edenshaw and Jaalen Edenshaw *''Playing field poles'' by Lawrence Bell *''Morris White memorial pole'' by Jim Hart and Christian White *''St John's Church pole'' by Robert Davidson *''Amanda Edgar's memorial pole'' by Paul White *''Sharkhouse pole'' by Reg Davidson *''gyaaGang Monumental pole'' by Kilthguulans Christian White <gallery> File:Village_of_Masset.jpg File:PSM_V53_D175_Street_in_masset_queen_charlotte_islands.jpg File:Post_card._Main_street%2C_Masset_(Native_village)_B.C._-_NARA_-_297790.jpg File:PSM_V53_D178_Tattooed_haida_of_masset.jpg File:PSM_V53_D177_Haida_woman_of_masset_weaving_a_basket.jpg File:Masset,_British_Columbia_(S71-3612).jpg File:Masset_village,_British_Columbia_(259).jpg#/media/File%3AMasset_village%2C_British_Columbia_(259)_(cropped).jpg File:PSM_V53_D179_Ancient_house_of_chief_weha_in_masset.jpg File:Interior_of_Chief_Wiah%27s_house,_Masset.jpg </gallery>
==Popular culture== Some Old Massett artists star on the Knowledge Network television series ''Ravens and Eagles''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Old Massett |work=Haida Gwaii | publisher=Haida Gwaii Observer |page=55 | year=2018}}</ref>
==See also== * Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England, includes a totem pole that originally stood in front of the Star House in Old Massett. The house belonged to Chief Anetlas (c.1816–1893); it is thought that the house was constructed in 1882. The pole was purchased by Edward Burnett Tylor and transported to the museum in 1901.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Star House Pole: Early Images of the Haida Totem Pole in the Pitt Rivers Museum |url=https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/event/star-house-pole | access-date=2023-01-21|website=Pitt Rivers Museum |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/files/Star_House_Pole_booklet.pdf |website=Pitt Rivers Museum |title=Discover The Haida Totem Pole |access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/files/Star_House_Pole_booklet.pdf |title=Star House Pole from Old Massett Haida Gwaii Canada |website=Pitt Rivers Museum |access-date=2023-01-21}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} * [http://maps.fphlcc.ca/old_massett Language notes], First Peoples' Language Map of British Columbia
Category:Haida villages Category:Indian reserves in Haida Gwaii