Editing Kasaan, Alaska (section)

==History==
Kasaan is one of the main historical communities of the [[Kaigani Haida]]. It is the most northernly Haida settlement.<ref name=Garfield>{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=Jay|last2=Eastman|first2=Carol M.|title=The Tsimshian and Their Neighbors of the North Pacific Coast|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uht0QgAACAAJ|pages=153–189|accessdate=July 21, 2019|year=1984|publisher=University of Washington Press|isbn=978-0-295-96126-2}}</ref> It was established by the Haida in [[protohistoric]] times or earlier, as part of a migration across the [[Dixon Entrance]], from [[Dadens]] and other villages of [[Langara Island]], [[Haida Gwaii]], to [[Dall Island]] and [[Prince of Wales Island (Alaska)|Prince of Wales Island]].<ref name=Garfield/>

Beginning in the late 1700s, European and [[U.S.|American]] ships began regularly visiting and trading with Kasaan and the rest of the Haida. Most early visiting ships were part of the [[maritime fur trade]]. The nearby trading site, "[[Kaigani (trading site)|Kaigani]]", was one of the most popular on the [[Pacific Northwest]] coast. This trade brought wealth, but also disease; the first [[smallpox epidemic]] hit Kasaan in 1794.<ref name=Garfield/> A rough census was taken of Kasaan between 1836 and 1841 by [[John Work (fur trader)|John Work]] of the [[Hudson's Bay Company]]. He reported 249 people living in the village. The [[1862 Pacific Northwest smallpox epidemic]] killed over 70% of all Haida people. The first official census was taken in 1880, and lists only 173 at Kasaan.<ref name=Garfield/> In the 1880s and 1890s, [[Alaska Steamship Company]] boats regularly visited a nearby fish saltery and packing business, and sometimes Kasaan. Tourists visiting Kasaan helped spark trade in Haida artifacts and new artwork.<ref name=Garfield/>

Residents moved from their former village on Skowl Arm (now called Old Kasaan), starting in 1893, and mostly in the period 1902–1904. In 1901, the leaders of Kasaan were persuaded by the Kasaan Bay Mining Company to relocate the entire village to a new site closer to the copper mine.<ref name=Garfield/> This migration was prompted by the promise of jobs and a school occasioned by development of copper mining and a cannery near the present location. Kasaan was established as a city in 1976.<ref name=directory>[http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/MuniDirPublic/2008CommunityDirectoryweb.pdf 2008 Alaska Community Directory], Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development: Division of Community & Regional Affairs, January 2008, p. 104. Accessed November 3, 2008.</ref>

Old Kasaan was completely abandoned by 1904, and the remains were partly destroyed by fire in 1915. The site was declared a [[U.S. National Monument|national monument]] in 1916,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Pruning the Parks: Moving the Totems Changed Everything for Old Kasaan National Monument (1916-1955) – |url=https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2009/10/pruning-parks-moving-totems-changed-everything-old-kasaan-national-monument-1916-1955-%E2%80%934732 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |website=www.nationalparkstraveler.org |language=en}}</ref> though '''Old Kasaan National Monument''' was largely neglected and a planned restoration was not done. In 1938 five historic and three replica [[totem poles]] were moved to New Kasaan.<ref name=":0" /> In 1955, the site was removed from the National Park System.<ref name=Garfield/> It became [[United States Forest Service|Forest Service]] jurisdiction, which established a 38-acre Old Kasaan Village Historical Area in 1957.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Victim of Nataure and Bureaucracy: The Short, Sad History of Old Kasaan National Monument |url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/alaska/olka.pdf |accessdate=July 21, 2019}}</ref> The relocated totem poles and a relocated house in New Kasaan were designated the [[Chief Son-I-Hat's Whale House and Totems Historic District]] in 2002.<ref name="NRHP">{{cite web |title=NRHP nomination for Chief Son-I-Hat's Whale House and Totems Historic District |url={{NRHP url|id=02000627}} |accessdate=August 15, 2014 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>