Helene Pinneau

Haida tattooing makes its mark

The ancient art of Haida tattooing has recently garnered new interest after being featured in the Vancouver Sun on Jan. 17. According to new research from the Bill Reid Centre for Northwest Coast Art Studies, located within the First Nations Studies at SFU, the Haida practiced the art of tattooing for centuries before European contact. Always a part of Haida culture, these tattoos represent crests, similar to what coat of arms represented for Europeans. These crests were symbols of status, social adornment or self-adornment. Each person, depending on their rank and their family, had a right to wear certain crests…

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