Raven Ryland- Gaad Gas Massett

Gaad Gas haan.uu dii kiiGa ga. Raven Ryland yaatsxaaydaGa haan.uu dii kiiGa ga. Yahguu’jaanas XaaydaGa sdauu hll íijii. HlGaagilda dii naa.uu ga, ad Gamadiis dii gidinas gan. Xawin, halxa ga taa ad xil gud ‘laa gan.

 Xaayda kihlgii ad wiiguuxaay dii gii hl sk’aadGadas. Jiixa dii nang taa sk’aadGada. Asing Aay Aay, dii naanGa ad dii awGa dii sk’aadGa gan. Ts’uu k’al, sGaahlan k’al, xuuya k’iida dii wiiguuxaay. Kayd hll.nga ad naaxiin dii sk’aadGa Gas ga.

My name is Gaad Gas. Raven Ryland is my English name. I come from the Yahguu’jaanas clan. I live in Skidegate, and I grew up in Port Clements. I like to fish, harvest traditional foods and plants.

I am a learner of speaking the Haida language and weaving. My mentor is Jiixa Gladys Vandal. I also learned from Aay Aay Albert Hans, Dawn Ryland and Tammi Ryland. I weave with red cedar, yellow cedar, and ravenstail. I am still learning how to weave with spruce root and chilkat.

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Raven Ryland was born in Hazelton, BC and grew up in Gamadiis Port Clements, Haida Gwaii. Her Haida name is Gaad Gas, which is a family name that was been passed down to her when she graduated grade 12. Gaad Gas belongs to the Yahguu’jaanas Raven clan. After graduating high school, she participated in the first cohort of the Aboriginal Ecotourism Training Program, and has graduated with a certificate in Event Planning and a diploma in Recreation and Sports Management. Gaad Gas is participating in the Haida Gwaii Mentorship Program with her mentor Jiixa Gladys Vandal and is incorporating her learning into her weaving and art.

Gaad Gas has been always interested in Haida weaving and formline. She comes from a long line of weavers including her grandmother Dawn Ryland and great great grandmother Eliza Abrahams. Gaad Gas started weaving when she was 9, when her mother Tammi Ryland taught her to weave mats and baskets. Gaad Gas started learning ravenstail when she attended a weaving class in the beginning of 2019 from Aay Aay Albert Hans, and also attended a few lessons by Aay Aay on naaxiin. Currently Gaad Gas is learning from Jiixa to weave cedar hats and to process and weave with spruce roots, while continuing to weave ravenstail.

Gaad Gas’ ravenstail is woven in a variety of colours, from traditional to modern. Most of the thigh spun warp for Gaad Gas’ ravenstail has been spun by Sgaas Sgwaansing Shyla Cross or by herself. Gaad Gas has woven multiple earrings, medicine pouches, and is currently working on her second headband for her mentor Jiixa. She hopes to get a larger blanket loom to start weaving bigger pieces. Some of her favourite designs to weave are the wave, lightning, and salmonberry designs.