About me
Ian Reid was born and raised in Waglisla to a Kimsquit father and a Xaxais mother. From a very young age, Ian has been involved in cultural activities, singing potlatch songs his whole life under the teachings of his relatives. Some of his teachers were Late Chief David Gladstone, Late Cyril Carpenter, Chief Elroy White and Chief Willam Housty. He has also taken on the responsibility of sculpting and specializing in creating potlatch items that are used in the sacred ceremonies of his people. Throughout his carving career, Ian has contributed a great number of objects to the potlatch system. This has led to deep teachings and understandings of Haíłzaqv law and customs. Ian was the Head Carver for the house posts that brought life to our Gvúkva’aus we potlatch in today. Throughout his carving career, he has also travelled extensively across North America and Europe to study Haiłzaqv formlines and sculptures. In recent days, he has had the honour to help with repatriation work with Chief Elroy White. This is fitting to his new role as a Hereditary Chief himself; Ian has hosted a potlatch to uplift and breathe life back into his great history and strong bloodline from the Haíłzaqv. As a result of this potlatch work, Ian carries a Hereditary Chief’s name from his father’s lineage: Yáxuλas. He also shares a Chief's name with his father Garney Reid Sr.: Q̓ámác̓las. Ian is a potlatcher and contributes to the life of the ceremony in many ways. In Ian's words: “This is what we do and why we are here! We have been doing this Potlatch activity for more than 14,000 years. By singing and dancing we are validating who we are reaffirming our place in the universe! We sing about it, we dance about it.”
