Nature, Art, and Stories : Haida Gwaii, BC Canada

Top of the Born Together Clan Pole against the sky, Skidegate, Haida Gwaii Canada

Born Together Clan Pole
All around Haida Gwaii – a collection of islands in the North Pacific waters off the coast of British Columbia, Canada – tall, carved, and painted cedar poles tell the stories of the local people. This one in a waterfront park in Skidegate features an eagle – a symbol of one of the two primary matrilineal moieties (clans) – and is topped by three Watchmen: symbolic guardians of the land, sea, and sky.

After the trees arrived in Haida Gwaii, SGaanuwee (Supernatural Beings) showed Haida kuuníisi (ancestors) how to carve gyaa’ang (monumental poles). The Haida word for monumental pole is related to the word gyaa’aa: “stand up”. After Haida carve, dance, and raise them, gyaaGang or gyaa’aang become living community members.

Gyaagan.Ngaay – Monumental Poles of Haida Gwaii

Kaats’ii Hla | Ḵaats’a Hláa | This Is Haida Gwaii : Issue Five

(Click to start Have a Light Heart on Your New Journey by Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson.)

Haida Gwaii is a magical place – abounding in natural beauty and creative talent. This remote archipelago of about 150 islands sits off the northern coast of British Columbia (BC) Canada. To reach it, long drives from the closest urban centres need to be augmented by plane, ferry, or other boat trips. On a clear day, you can see Alaska.

Somehow the Haida people who have lived on these islands and the waters around them for at least 13,000 years have managed to reclaim and revive their culture and some of their language. This is in spite of being almost completely wiped out by introduced illnesses in the 1800s, and in spite of losing the rights to customary traditions – like the Potlatch – until as late as 1951.

Fortunately, the Haida are fighters and willing to stand up for themselves.

For many years, the BC provincial and Canadian federal governments allowed the lands and waters to be plundered by mining, logging, and excessive fishing. In spite of their low numbers, the Haida pushed back: in 1985, dozens gathered on Athlii Gwaii (Lyell Island) to blockade against the heavy logging machinery. After years of tense negotiations between the Haida and the Canadian government, the Gwaii Haanas Agreement was formalised in 1993.

This landmark agreement protects Haida Gwaii “from ocean floor to mountaintop”. This includes the people and their customs.

Carving massive cedar logs into monumental poles is part of this customary practice.

Although they are often all referred to as ‘totem poles’, these ubiquitous examples of Haida art and skill are often crest, potlatch, or memorial poles. The stylised creatures carved and painted on the red cedar poles tell stories of a person, a clan, or a particular event (eg: Gwaii Hanaas; Stories in the Rocks and Trees).

As beautiful and artistic as they are, the poles are an expression of shared cultural experience – not ‘art’ for consumption. Many poles are on private property and listed as “not intended for public viewing”. Naturally, I have not included them here.

Let’s have a final look around Graham Island, Haida Gwaii:

The front of the Isabel Creek Store in Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii Canada

Isabel Creek Store
My accommodation – like much of the Haida Gwaii tourist accommodation – was in Daajing Giids, formerly known as Queen Charlotte. Its narrow streets and charming buildings make it a pleasure to walk around.

Skidegate Inlet from Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii Canada.

Islands in Skidegate Inlet
The air is clean and the views are magic. One is never far from the ever-changing waterways.

Haida Gwaii Hospital
The Skidegate Inlet Healing House Pole was raised in front of the hospital and health centre in 2018.

Pink Hawthorn Blossoms
Around town the salmonberries are starting and the hawthorn is in full bloom.

Hummingbird Mural
Art is everywhere – like this colourful mural by Thomas Arnatt on Funk It, the Daajing Giids furniture and home decor store.

View from my Room
This far north, the spring daylight stretches well into the evening. I have a beautiful view over the Queen Charlotte Small Craft Harbour, Skidegate Inlet, and typical British Columbia wooden buildings with cedar-shake roofs on the street below.

Official Flag of the Council of the Haida Nation
In Skidegate, the next village along Skidegate Inlet, the Haida flag flies. The stylized raven and eagle depicted on the flag represent the two principle matrilineal clans of the Haida people.

Still Life Found : a Rusty Planter

Look Up!
The Born Together Clan Pole stands tall in the Skidegate waterfront park.

The Eyes of the Beaver
Beaver were introduced to Haida Gwaii in the mid-20th century; even though they are not native, they often feature in Haida art.

Beaver at the Base

Living Culture
A young child and his grandfather run around the green where the Born Together Clan Pole stands tall.

The Haida Gwaii Museum and Haida Heritage Centre
Historically, this was the site of a major village known for its many poles and longhouses. The cultural center is designed to resemble that village, with its many totem poles facing the ocean. Front and centre is the T’aanuu pole by Gitkinjuuwas Ronald Wilson, which depicts a killer whale, a raven, a wolf, a dogfish, and an eagle.

Inside the Haida Gwaii Museum
The centrepiece in the lobby in the Haida Heritage Centre is a beautiful carving – about which I could find no information.

Traditional Haida Dugout Canoes
In a shelter outside the Haida Gwaii Museum, three long, dugout canoes are housed. These boats are traditionally constructed by carving and steaming a single large cedar log into shape.

Traditional Haida Dugout Canoe
These canoes are central to the cultural identity of the Haida. Used for fishing, war, and trade, they feature stylized art, often representing sea creatures.

Nature’s Artworks: Driftwood
Inspiration for Haida art is all around.

Beach at Halibut Bite Rest Area
Days ebb and flow with the tides; life moves with the seasons.

Nature’s Sculpture : Seaweed on a Boulder

Almost Abstract : Stones on the Beach
Beauty and patterns are everywhere.

Haida House at Tllaal
After a planned walk to the Pesuta Shipwreck (see: Pesuta Shipwreck Trail), I had a dinner reservation at the dining room in Haida House at Tllaal.

The Wonderful Terri Lynn Davidson
I arrived early, so I wandered the halls of the building. One of the many paintings adorning the walls was this beautiful piece by Chris Hopkins. Terri Lynn Davidson is the voice behind the music attached to this post.