This May long weekend will see the return of the Haisla May Queen and the first Salmonberry Princess crowned for the Haisla Sports Days.
Shelley Bolton, cultural coordinator for the Haisla Nation Council, says that while she couldn’t track down the May Queen’s origins, she found an archived photo dating back to 1931. Bolton adds that this will be the first time since at least the 1990s that the crown will be awarded.
Girls between 12-18 years old are eligible for the May Queen crown and will win based on their Haisla Sports Days fundraising efforts. The same goes for girls between 6-11 years old who want to be named Salmonberry Princess.
Selling 50/50 cash draw tickets until May 17, the girl who sells the most will not only wear the crown but also get 10 per cent of the earnings. While 50 per cent goes to the draw winner, the remaining 40 per cent will go towards the nation’s events next year.
A new reign will start for the Salmonberry Princess, an idea that came from Bolton while researching traditional Haisla celebrations.
Bolton found that similar to other nations that celebrate seasons like the Oolichan run, Haisla would celebrate the blossoming of salmonberries, which often happens in tandem with the Salmon run.
Before the crowning ceremony on Sunday, other events like canoe racing, bike parades, an elder lunch and community lunch will be happening across Friday and Saturday.
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