I love this video, I am Haida, My mom was Phyllis Edenshaw. She died in 2003, I feel like my wings have been clipped. After my moms death, my children dont really care to or are so busy in the white world they have no time. Im going to show them your video. Im sure it will help describe how I feel and we can start from there. Also...I think I will just have to say we are all going on vacation to Haida Gwai. I love it there, and they have never been.

Haawa for sharing! Oh my heart - I also found my Haida family but later in life. I was 28 when I learned my father is Skilay - Ernie Collison. I have been going up to HG now every few years since (I live in Van). The first time I went up, I knew I was home. I was always missing something in my life, and I also found it. I love your story

i was tearing up at the adoption ceremony (and i'm glad that elder decided "you have a dad and a nuni who are both raven clan so under the circumstances i'm cool with you being adopted back in with your primary clan being raven even if that would *usually* go through your mom's side".)

Love this and it made me cry too.

What a beautiful, heartfelt story.

Delores and Heather this is so wonderful! just like you, glad to have finally seen this.

I love this documentary. It means so much.

Heather, your heart has found it's home. I am so happy for you. I too am Haida, but still lost. I also was adopted way back when and have always felt my heart being tugged to return home to BC. I did do my research with my adoption, only to come to a dead end. So I remained lost & I still feel it in my heart 56 yrs later. I am glad your heart found home. xo

This was very touching, my dad was adopted as a newborn so we don't know very much of our Haida background. I would love to go to Haida Gwaii some day.

Beautiful and amazing doc. Thanks so much Heather!

This is so important. Thank you!

This is a rad documentary. I watched it with my two year old daughter and she loved it.

I had a similar feeling when I went to visit my family in West Java, Indonesia. Connecting with my Sunda roots, I felt more at home with that side of the family than I did when we had our family reunions on my moms side.

I love seeing these reunions!

This is so lovely.... beautiful Dolores. She is so gorgeous lovely and don’t forget an amazing dancer.

GORGEOUS video and very moving story...thank you for sharing..it is very heartwarming...

Very nice. I felt her yearning spirit.

Excellent. Thank You for sharing. I was also separated from my native family. From birth to graduation I changed homes 22 times. I only felt like I was home when I made the journey you are on now. Thank You for sharing.

My father was partly brought up by a Haida lady called Florrie, much loved by our family. This would be from around 1911 to 1917, when they were living in Prince Rupert. But we lost track of her. I I would be very glad to hear from anyone who knows anything about Florrie. BTW, my grandfather was a government inspecting engineer for the Grand Trunk Pacific railway. He ended up signing the whole thing, from Prince Rupert to Winnipeg, into operation.

So HAPPY for you and your Haidi family. As my family's family tree caretaker, I have found way to many of my family adopted out from their (my) biological family. Heartbreaking really. Ancestry DNA has been such a blessing to find them.

Amazing 🙏♥️ love this documentary

What a beautiful story🙏

So pretty 😍 Great video. Made me cry though...

I was adopted at 8 months I was able to return to Haida Gwaii and my Haida family at age 19. Since returning in 1993 I have the fortune to start my own family on Haida Gwaii Where my children are able to learn our language That to me is a very important part of their identity. Not only living in the land in which they come from But continuing to learn and save the Haida language is incredible.

Beautiful.

So wonderful

This is great. I feel this currently in my life aswell. Greene descent.

I am Haida on both sides of my family but my Naanii on my dads side her ethnicity was of the Nisga'a Nation and there people are around the Nass Valley. Near Terrace BC and I got the amazing opportunity to go spend a week in the hometown village she grew up in. Kincolith. (GINXGOLX) as they would say in the language as I have a poor education and knowing of the nation and language in general, I wanted to take that chance of visiting my family and to learn about that side of the family because before I went there I always felt like a part of me was missing but I never understood what it was or why I felt that way and when I left after my wonderful but short visit. Short but sweet as I always like it. I felt almost whole again just knowing more about that part of me and the dirt roads my grandmother walked on and grew up on running through those streets.. Mind U I forgot to mention this was probably a year after her loving soul passed away , she had pneumonia and got so Ill super fast! :( so being there made it feel all too real I was still in a state of mind with dealing with my closure of her being "gone", but no I felt her there with me when I sat and played cards with her 1st cousin and my Ye'e aka Grandfather. But my main roots. My mom is Raven and my dad is Eagle and in the olden days that's how it went no matter what, you weren't able to be with someone who was also a raven or it was disrespectful or was not approved of by the nation, and Visa versa. Eagles were not to be with another eagle. Anyways, My Clan is Naikun Quiigawaay. & our clan members resided in Rose spit. A area which is owned by my clan and were they once upon a time a million yrs ago. (I'm exaggerating alot , lol) but not a million but my ancestors originated here. I am proud and happy that I had the privilege of knowing all this info, and I'm going off the top of my head memory if any of our people see this and read something that I have misinterpreted please!!! Correct me, my knowledge is just off memory.... I have not learned anything new unfortunately about my ethnicity and language since I was in grade 8 , just a little aljuu punk starting high school...lol but I hope someone. Atleast acknowledges my post that would make me a million times happier then I have been lately. Sincerely, W/All my love and utmost respect ... How'aa for sharing this it must not have been easy heather. I'm glad you were able to reunite a long waited and constant wonder in both ur guys lives bond that seems u and ur Naan instantly had/have. I lost both grandmas throughout the last 5 years. Along w/both parents so life hasn't been exactly a walk in the park for me... But cherish the memories u make with ur family all the stolen times u could have had ...make a million more to make up for it. Again, how'aa and everyone please take care of YOURSELVES !!! & 1 another. Be safe and kind to one another. Xox, dang dii kuyadang! ~~ means I love you . My spelling is off I know ...I tried to remember the best I could I think it's almost right

i am a " 60s scoop " kid "found my family 30 yrs later ...Williams Family from Masset...Howdy Family .. made me tear up lol

Very well done. The film held my attention with beautiful scenery, music and story.I was aware that a white woman could marry in but had no idea a native woman would essentially lose out. "I was not a native or a white, I didn't know what I was" Alot of people can relate to this situation, not knowing the who's/what's/where's of your past can leave you feeling empty inside. I'm glad your beginning to connect all the dots. I'm happy our paths crossed and will definitely be checking out more your films

Dear CBC Short Docs, I'm an editor from theDoor Video. Shanghai ,China. We are an upcoming independent short video platform focusing on tribal culture, nature, and spirituality. Your video on Haida attracts us a lot. I'm wondering if we could put Chinese subtitles on it and show it on DoorVideo? Non of the material will be used for profit. Kind Regards, Yifan WU

It was a great video n I am glad your found your home n Family... It was hard to watch n keep my eyes n heart dry... 😂😂Miigwetch 🤗

Hermoso,!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this emotional journey. When you said the words about feeling different and not belonging, is a feeling I've had my entire life. Altho I was not adopted I can resonate with the not belonging. My story began with my great-grandparents. They were Indigenous ppl and they were forced to run away or be sent away to an Oklahoma reservation. So they ran from the State seeking work and shelter for their family. Many secrets had to be kept silent never speaking their native language and conforming to the white man’s lifestyle of clothes, haircuts always remain silent of who they truly were they lost everything to keep their five living Children as well as my Great Grandparents they were not Schooled as the boys worked long hours in the fields and the girls inside the big house beside the other people who were black. They lived on the grounds of the farm with a tiny shack along with a small patch of land they were allowed to plant food for three families with a portion shared with the Big House. They were given created names that they heard in Church from the white man’s Bible. Just as your Nuni was cast aside my family was as well. So all we had were stories or legends that were passed down from the Old ones. It was my Uncle who started researching he passed in 2004 yet he went on this rollercoaster ride seeking more about our family's history. Which started with my Great Grandparents. Yet my Grandmother way later in her life self taught herself to read and write. Yet she was probably 13 or older. My family's luck changed when the Head of the Homestead. I dislike the word Master. He had many children with his 1st wife. She later got sick and passed away. There is a strange thing that happened with her yet I will save that for another time. So when his wife passed he was a man with 11 children and no Mother some were up in age. My Grandmother told me that the man who became my Grandfather yet I never met because he died when my Daddy was a small boy from a horrific accident. Which rendered him in a coma for 5 days. So back to my Grandmother we would sit on her front porch in the Country early am for her late afternoons for me. I watched her with her small hands yet quick with a needle making quilts for each child that was born and each couple who married. The frame was set up on her little porch and as we quilted each square she would talk about her life and how her parents did everything and risked it all. To allow them to be free as well as our history she remembered as she was very small. When my Grandmother was 15 she became a new bride to a man with 11 children who were not hers. Much older than she. My Grandfather. 50 years old when he wed her. I asked her to share all she was told by her Mother and Father. So many times. Yes, I was always the nosy Granddaughter who was so curious about everything. When my Uncle after so many years of seeking and traveling to unveil the history of our family. He was special to me. He loved to seek answers to all things just as I did. This was before Computers. It was paper records steered everywhere and later micro fish screens you scrolled and scrolled. He found out everything he could about our heritage and lineage until we became recognized legally. Yet all the Wisdom my Great Grandmother has was stored inside her mind no written records. So she spoke of them as living history as well as many things that were strange to me. She was a healer as well as a woman who knew so much about herbs, moon signs, and meanings as could see and know things others didn’t She had healing abilities and other things if she was crossed. Yet my Grandmother who was the next generation learned a lot. Yet as she was living a different lifestyle. She wanted to go be free and to quote her dance at all the farmers thru parties when they built barns and houses there was free help and then a party of good food and music. So much was lost. Yet finally I felt like a very different person with knowing what and who the people were to that I was related. I also received my Native name years later at a big Powwow as well as our tribal colors so the feeling of not fitting in me walking in between 2 different worlds. Thank you to those who read this. I was so touched by Heather's story I wanted to share some of my life. Many I know never get any answers yet I am so happy that Heather found hers. Brought tears to my eyes especially when her Nuni was speaking about things that had happened to her. If we listen to the Elders we can learn much. Sending love to you and all the ppl of Haida Gwaii. Beautiful life story as well as an awesome land where so much history started. Thank you so much. Love Suzanne💗

This is so wonderful. Thank you..

very nice video

Gonna have an overflowing Longhouse if all them adoptees come back for ceremonies!

dude, this is cool

Jaa haw'áa, wunis 'láagang. Sangaay'laa!

Very nice, I am Haida, I come all the way to Prince George Canada to see this Video of my Homeland. 2018-08-29.

Yes she got to be a Ravenclaw!

where is this area ?

I am Haida. And Tsimsien.

She also named me, Shining heart eagle woman

This is why you dont change the relationship of a child unless its a danger to the child. I hate when people get possessive and deny a child thier birthright.

I've looked at the headstones at New Clew, and shed many a tear, as I had a dad who was very very biased, and somehow as a child I hated it and vowed to be different, to this day my minds eye goes to places I shared with 1st Nations people and we talked story about who we are, and somehow still feel a pain, a anger, a lostness as a Caucasian on foreign soil that really wasn't ours to own, Colonization was, is evil, just lack of respect for the Creators kids.

누군지 몰겠으나 잘 보고 간다 12년전에 캐나다 퀸살렷 아일랜드 섬에 살았는데 영상 보고 댓글 남긴다

Her language sounds like Navajo believe me or not, yep! It was all about control she is a tribe not a white person. Plze help these ppl to find their heritage true heritage 💕

Don't trust the wicked government 🧐

Yes i would love to say a huge haida ha7waa ( thank you ) sor sharing this emotional experience with us all ;) 😊😊😊😊😅😅😅😅😅❤😅😅❤😅🎉😅😅😅😅😂😅😅❤😅🎉😅😅❤😅😂😅❤😅❤❤😅😅🎉😅❤😅❤😅😂😊😊😂😅❤😅😂😅😊❤😊😊🎉😊😊😂😊❤

Don't trust the wicked government 🧐