Argillite Carvings The Haida carvings of Queen Charlotte Islands along the coast of British Columbia are notable aboriginal art treasures created from a type of a hard, fine black silt argillite, sometimes called "black slate", which occurs only at a quarry on a Slatechuck Mountain in the upper basin of Slatechuck Creek, near the town of Skidegate on Graham Island just 80 miles south of Ketchikan. While at one time, around 1900, it was shipped to Victoria for manufacturing, today the Haida have a monopoly on use of the argillite. This artwork has been of high quality and prized around the world since the Haida first began carving it to sell to sailors around 1800, and modern Haida carvers continue the tradition today, with stunning design and skill.
