Haida Gwaii

Haida Gwaii lies some hundred kilometres off the northern British Columbia coast, and it is the homeland of the Haida, whose monumental carving and canoe-building are among the great artistic traditions of the Pacific coast. The southern third of the archipelago is Gwaii Haanas, jointly managed by the Haida Nation and Parks Canada, reachable only by boat or floatplane, and it protects rainforest, hot springs and the abandoned village sites where rows of mortuary and memorial poles still stand facing the sea, slowly returning to the forest by deliberate choice rather than being restored. Watchmen from Haida families live at the sites through the summer and receive visitors. Elsewhere the islands hold huge cedar, black bears, and an art scene centred on Skidegate's museum.

History

Archaeological sites show people living on the islands as far back as 13,000 years ago, when Haida Gwaii was probably joined to the mainland by the now-submerged continental shelf, and stone structures found in 2014 on the bed of Hecate Strait may be older still. The Haida, organised in two clans, the Eagles and the Ravens, occupied more than 100 villages across the islands and traded with their neighbours on the mainland as far as California; the first European to sight the archipelago was Juan Pérez, at Langara Island, in 1774, followed by James Cook in 1778 (Wikipedia, Haida Gwaii).

What's there

• SGang Gwaay - the village site with standing mortuary poles, a UNESCO listing.
• The Haida Heritage Centre - carving, canoes and the museum at Skidegate.
• Gwaii Haanas - the protected south, reached by boat or floatplane with the Watchmen.
• The rainforest - immense old-growth cedar and spruce.

When to go

May to September is the season for boats, floatplanes and Gwaii Haanas access; the islands are wet and stormy the rest of the year. Gwaii Haanas requires a reservation, a fee and a compulsory orientation session, and daily numbers are capped, so plan months ahead.

Things to know

Getting there and getting around are both slow and expensive, with a seven-hour ferry or a flight, and Gwaii Haanas on top of that needs a tour, a charter or serious sea-kayak experience. Weather cancels boats regularly. This is Haida land and visits happen on Haida terms, including where you may go and what you may photograph, which is exactly as it should be.

Nearby

Prince Rupert is the ferry port on the mainland; the Great Bear Rainforest lies south along the coast.

Key facts