Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
The People
The People
The Land
The Sea
Hundreds of generations of Haida have been nourished by the rich abundance of Haida Gwaii. The islands provide all the essential ingredients for sustenance and growth. Resourcefulness and readily accessible foods allow time for the continuation of a complex society and a unique art form that reflects the people's close interaction with the land and seas.
Haida artist carving mask © Parks Canada / C. Johnson, 2007
Monumental cedar poles announce the crests and lineages of the Haida families. Haida house construction has secured its place in the world of architecture, while the ingenuity of Haida technology is demonstrated in the ocean-going canoe. The undisturbed areas of Haida Gwaii continue to inspire Haida artists who command international recognition in today's world.
Contact with "people from away" and their communicable diseases nearly annihilated the Haida, - the population decreased from many thousands to only a few hundred. The Haida not only survived but continue to live and adapt their culture into the mainstream of 21st century North American society. Today, along with a variety of lifestyles and careers, hunting, gathering and the preparation of foods and feasting are still part of everyday life.
In the past, Haida Watchmen were posted at strategic positions around a village to raise the alarm in advance of an approaching enemy. Watchmen also crowned poles as carved figures protecting the village from evil spirits. Today, from spring until autumn, the Haida Gwaii Watchmen serve as guardians at the following old village sites:
Watchmen live at camps at the village sites ensuring that these sites are respected. The Watchmen, although not tour guides, provide a wealth of knowledge to people who visit each site.
Some historic sites in Gwaii Haanas record the early presence of European and Japanese industrial activities. There are abandoned mining sites, whaling stations and remnants of old trails, logging roads, tramways and shipwrecks throughout the area.
The Land
The San Christoval Mountains form the backbone of Gwaii Haanas, rising to 1,123 metres at Mount de la Touche. The higher elevations of this range are dominated by mountain hemlock and alpine tundra vegetation zones. The lower elevations (Kunghit and Moresby Islands) are mainly cedar, pine and western hemlock. The Hemlock-Sitka spruce zone is found on the islands of the eastern part of Gwaii Haanas, including the eastern fringe of Moresby Island.
Bog laurel © Parks Canada /D. Gardiner, 2008
The distinct island flora and fauna have evolved over thousands of years. The species here often differ from those found on the mainland. Many common continental species are not found on the islands at all, or have evolved into unique subspecies such as the black bear and the pine marten (both larger than mainland cousins), the deer mouse, the dusky shrew and the short-tailed weasel. Other species have been introduced relatively recently - the Sitka black-tailed deer, raccoons, squirrels, beaver and three species of rats - and now exist in large numbers, much to the detriment of the native plants and animals.
An estimated 1.5 million seabirds nest along some 4,700 km of shoreline on the Islands from May through August. Approximately half of these seabirds can be found in Gwaii Haanas. Many are burrow-nesters, such as the rhinoceros auklet, ancient murrelet, tufted puffin, horned puffin, Cassin's auklet, Leach's storm petrel and fork-tailed storm petrel. Common murres and pelagic cormorants, bald eagles and Peale's peregrine falcons also nest along the coastline. Because the islands are situated along the Pacific flyway, dozens of species of migrating birds stop here in spring and fall.
The Sea
The sea around Gwaii Haanas teem with life. These waters are home to salmon, herring, halibut, rockfish, mussels, crab, starfish, sea urchin and octopus, along with numerous other species. Twenty species of whales and dolphins have been spotted in these waters. The grey whale spring migration route passes Haida Gwaii on the way to summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea. Humpback, orca, and minke whales are also seen regularly in the waters surrounding Gwaii Haanas, along with dolphins, porpoises, and harbour seals. Sei, fin, and other species of whale are occasionally sighted.
Drooping anemones © Parks Canada /K. Alexander, 2007