a group of tribes living on the Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, and the southern part of Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. They speak a number of dialects that, together, make up the Haida division of the Athapascan language family. In the past, the Haida Indians were totem-pole carvers and canoemakers. Like the Kwakiutl Indians and other North Pacific tribes, they practiced potlatch. They were first described by Juan Perez, a Spanish sailor who encountered them in 1774. Today, there are about 3,000 Haida Indians. Many work in fish canneries and logging camps and as artisans.