Edensew was born at the Haida village of Skidegate, on Haida Gwaii, located 27 miles off of the coast of British Columbia Canada. His father was K'łajangk'una of the Nikwən Qiwe lineage of the Ravenmoiety. His mother, whose lineage identity he followed in the Haida matrilineal system, was Qawkúna of the Eagle moiety's Sdəłdás lineage, of which Charles eventually became chief. He spent his early years at Kiusta and Yatza in the northwestern Charlottes, i.e. the Queen Charlotte Islands. His Haida name was Da.a xiigang or Tahaygen, alternatively spelled Tahayren and Tahayghen. He learned from his uncle, the Eagle chief Albert Edward Edenshaw. In 1884 he was baptised with his English name, which derived from Scotland's Bonnie Prince Charlie. In addition to the chiefly name Idɨnsaw, he also held the titles Skɨl'wxan jas, Dahʼégɨn, Nəngkwigetklałs.
Artworks
He produced many commissioned works, including for the American Museum of Natural History. His work is in many museum collections, and he served as consultant to many anthropologists. His works include bentwood boxes, rattles, masks, totem poles, and staffs, and he worked in wood, argillite, gold, and silver. His work was collected by the anthropologists Franz Boas and John R. Swanton. He is specifically credited for advancing gold and silver engraving in traditional formline design.
Family
Edenshaw's marriage to Isabella Edenshaw was part of a long pattern of intermarriage between these two prominent Haida lineages. Together they parented five daughters : Emily, Agnus, Florence, and Nora. Through his daughter Emily, Edenshaw is great-grandfather to the contemporary artistsMichael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Jim Hart and Lisa Hageman Yahgulanaas and great-great grandfather to many Haida artists. Edenshaw's daughter was the matriarch Florence Davidson, and is great grandfather to internationally renowned artists Robert Davidson, and Reg Davidson, and through Florence, he is grandfather to her daughter, the weaving artist Primrose Adams, great-grandfather to her daughter the weaving artist Isabel Rorick.
