SHI LECTURE TO EXPLORE THE MEANING OF HAIDA TITLE

Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will sponsor a lecture this week as part of its ongoing fall series, featuring prominent voices in Indigenous knowledge, art and culture, wildlife conservation and science.

The event will feature Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, a renowned Haida artist, musician and lawyer, who will discuss the historic Gaayhllxid/Gíihlagalgang “Rising Tide” Haida Title Lands Agreement, the first agreement of its kind in Canada.

In her lecture, “The Meaning of Haida Title,” Williams-Davidson will explore the decades-long journey that led to the formal recognition of the Haida Nation’s aboriginal title to Haida Gwaii. She will explain how the agreement, enacted in July 2024, goes beyond legal definitions to restore relationships between the Haida people, the land and waters of Haida Gwaii and all living beings.

Williams-Davidson, who has represented the Haida Nation in litigation and negotiations since 1995, will also share her perspective on the broader implications of the agreement and its role in Indigenous legal frameworks. As the lead counsel on the Haida title case—the first to address aboriginal title to ocean regions in Canada—she will provide insight into how this milestone connects to the Haida people’s ongoing journey toward justice, or tll yahda.

Additionally, Williams-Davidson will reflect on her expansive career in Indigenous law and environmental advocacy, highlighting her work on the protection of Haida Gwaii’s old-growth forests and marine ecosystems, including her successful legal challenges to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines.

Sealaska Heritage Institute is a private nonprofit founded in 1980 to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska. Its goal is to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through public services and events. SHI also conducts scientific and public policy research that promotes Alaska Native arts, cultures, history and education statewide. The institute is governed by a Board of Trustees and guided by a Council of Traditional Scholars, a Native Artist Committee and a Southeast Regional Language Committee.

The lecture is scheduled for noon, Wednesday, Sept. 25, in Shuká Hít within the Walter Soboleff Building, 105 Heritage Way, in Juneau. The event will be livestreamed and posted on SHI’s YouTube channel.

CONTACT: Kathy Dye, SHI Communications and Publications Deputy Director, 907.321.4636, kathy.dye@sealaska.com.

Caption: Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson by Farah Nosh. Photo courtesy of White Raven Law Corporation.