SGang Gwaay

At the southern end of Haida Gwaii, on a small island facing the open Pacific, stands what remains of the village of SGang Gwaay Llnagaay, abandoned by 1878, after the smallpox epidemic of 1862 and the diseases that followed. Twenty-odd memorial and mortuary poles still stand along the shoreline in front of the fallen house frames, carved with the crest figures of the families who raised them, and they are deliberately not restored: Haida practice lets them weather, lean and eventually return to the forest floor, which is part of what UNESCO recognised when it listed the site in 1981. Haida Gwaii Watchmen live at the site through the season and take visitors round in small groups. It is reached only by boat or float plane.

History

Haida Gwaii has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years, and the village site of SG̱ang Gwaay Llnagaay, Red Cod Island, dates back to at least 360 CE; its people, sometimes called the Kunghit Haida, held the south of the archipelago, and Haida testimony recorded by John R. Swanton put the number of longhouses here at twenty. At the start of the maritime fur trade the village was visited by George Dixon in 1787, by Charles Duncan in 1788 and twice in 1789, by Robert Gray and then John Kendrick, when relations turned hostile. The smallpox epidemic of 1862 and the diseases that followed cut the population sharply; by 1875 the site was used mainly as a camp, and by 1878 the last people had moved to Skidegate (Wikipedia, Ninstints).

The main sights

• The standing poles - memorial and mortuary poles along the old village front.
• The house depressions - the frames and pits of the longhouses behind them.
• The Watchmen - Haida guardians who live on site and lead the visit.
• Gwaii Haanas - the wider park reserve of islands, inlets and hot springs.

When to go

June to September is the only practical window, when the Watchmen are in place and boats are running. Trips must be booked with a licensed operator well ahead and numbers on the island at any one time are strictly capped. Weather in Hecate Strait cancels crossings regularly.

Things to know

Getting here is expensive and slow: a flight or long ferry to Haida Gwaii, then a multi-day boat trip or a float plane charter into the park reserve, and everyone must attend an orientation first. Landings are cancelled in swell. The poles are decaying on purpose and visitors expecting a restored monument will not find one; that is the point of the place.

Nearby

Skidegate and the Haida Heritage Centre are the mainland-side starting point.

Key facts