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Haida Gwaii
Photograph by Kevin Lanthier, Getty
The Sounds of Silence
The quiet is what strikes people here most on Haida Gwaii. On this 180-mile-long archipelago off the coast of British Columbia, labyrinthine coves snuggle up to dense forests with towering cedars. Beneath the ground, scientists have found evidence of human habitation stretching back 12,000 years.
“We brought students—minus laptops and cell phones—to the forest,” says Guujaaw, a Haida leader. “They could carry a pencil and tablet for sketching. A couple hours later, one student said the sound of the pencil scratching on the pad was too loud.”
Thirty years ago it wasn’t so quiet. In 1985 the Haida people, alarmed by the ecological damage caused by clearcutting, blockaded the logging road. This nonviolent protest led to Canada's creation of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site. In the village of SGang Gwaay, Haida Watchmen share their culture with visitors to this UNESCO World Heritage destination.
“You use your listening sense more,” says Ernie Gladstone, a Haida who is superintendent of Gwaii Haanas. “You hear the water washing down the beaches, clams squirting, and ravens, eagles, and songbirds in the forest.” —April Orcutt
Travel Tips
When to Go: Summer (May 1-September 15) is the best time to visit, since tourist services (tours, cultural events, restaurants, and lodging) are readily available. Winter (October-May) is surfing season.
How to Get Around: Flying from Vancouver is the most convenient way to get to Haida Gwaii. In summer, there are twice daily Air Canada flights from Vancouver to Sandspit. Pacific Coastal Airlines also flies daily year-round between Vancouver and Masset on the northern end of Graham Island. There isn’t any islandwide public transportation, so rent a car, then book an Inland Air Charters Ltd. floatplane tour or Moresby Explorers Ltd. boat tour (they also rent kayaks) to visit more remote areas.
Where to Stay: The Haida House at Tllaal is a Haida-owned post-and-beam cedar guest lodge. Haida guides, formally trained to serve as cultural ambassadors for the Haida nation, lead hikes and tours such as studio visits with Haida weavers and carvers. The lodge's ten rooms (eight with a double and single bed, two family rooms with extra bedroom) are styled in the traditional Haida colors of red and black. Views are of either the tidal Tlell River or forest (with the dunes and ocean beyond the trees). All-inclusive packages (other options are available) include meals, accommodation, flights from Vancouver, ground transfers, and ambassador/guide fees.
Where to Eat or Drink: The Haida House dining room menu changes frequently to feature what’s fresh from the garden, forest, and ocean. Local favorites include dried fish, smoked salmon, octopus, razor clams, and black cod (sablefish). Open to the public for dinner May 1-September 24. Closed Mondays. Reservations recommended.
What to Buy: The Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay gift shop in Skidegate sells local Haida arts and crafts such as argillite carvings, silver jewelry, masks, and woven goods. Before shopping, view the center’s current art and cultural exhibits and tour the working canoe, weaving, and totem pole studios. Closed Sundays in June; open daily July and August; closed Sundays and Mondays, September to May.
What to Read Before You Go: Set in Haida Gwaii’s old-growth forest, The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed (W.W. Norton & Company, 2006) by John Vaillant tells the story of how logger turned activist Grant Hadwin’s obsession to protect a 165-foot-tall Sitka spruce led to its destruction.
Cultural Tip: Locals, both Haida and non-Haida, sprinkle bits and pieces of Haida language into conversations. The most important phrase to know and use is haawa (how-a), which is Haida for “thank you.”
Helpful Links: Haida Gwaii Tourism, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, and Haida Gwaii Discovery Tours
Fun Fact: The modern-day Haida Gwaii archipelago was unnamed until 1787, when British naval captain George Dixon, commander of the Queen Charlotte, named the islands after his ship. The Queen Charlotte Islands officially became Haida Gwaii (Islands of the People) in December 2009 as part of a reconciliation agreement between the British Columbian government and the Haida nation.
Insider Tip From National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis:You can dig up enough razor clams on Graham Island's North Beach for a good meal of chowder in a matter of minutes. But be like the Haida, and don’t take too many.
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