Amelia Rea – Gudanee Xahl Kil
Amelia Rea is an 18-year-old youth from Haida Gwaii. She belongs to the Ts’iits G’itanee Eagle clan and descends from Lucy Frank.
Amelia is an advocate for Haida language and culture. She grew up going to language camps, classes and conferences with her mom. She won the Tahayghen Rosa Bell Haida Language award and was the top student in her Haida language class. Her voice can be heard in the Haidawood Yaanii K’uuga animation. Being beside her mom has led her to co-present her mom’s Haida Language Revitalization thesis at UVIC, the International Conference of Language Conservation and Documentation and at the International Haida language conferences.
She has performed in many traditional Potlatches and has traveled to the National Museum of the American Indian, the American Museum of Natural History, the Canadian Museum of Civilization and Celebration in Juneau. She loves culture-sharing!
Amelia has also had excellent experience in visual Haida arts. From a young age, she learned how to weave, design button blankets and woodworking.
Amelia worked at the Haida Gwaii Museum in Skidegate during the summer and she volunteers at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. She has a passion for learning and enjoys studying the ancient artworks of her ancestors. She recently shared Royal BC Museum artifact and language recording catalologues at Celebration in Juneau, AK and she advocates for research and repatriation.
In 2015, Amelia was on the winning team at the Haida Gwaii youth conference and was known for bravely giving speeches and following traditional protocol just like her great-great grandfather, Chief Weah.
Amelia has spoken at three International language conferences in BC and in Hawaii.
Explore a curated selection of Royal BC Museum objects and contemporary photographs that inspire this community member to continue working in the tradition of her Haida ancestors.
There were a lot of poles In Kuista
He carved the totem pole with a curved knife
The members of the opposite moiety used to do the work on the poles
This is adze.
They will also raise a totem pole
The pole is twenty feet long
There are also a lot of poles at SGaan Gwaay
Here is a forest filled with totem poles.
She'll also carve totem poles
Carve it!
There was an eagle crest on top.
They called it a blessing
When they would raise a pole, it was hard work
