Introduction
Understanding the place
SG的ang Gwaay Llnagaay is a former Haida village in Gwaii Haanas, known for its remains of houses and monumental poles protected with the Haida Gwaii Watchmen.
To be retained
- Haida ancestral village
- Monumental posts and houses
- Land, not people, disappeared
- Protection with Haida Guardians
History and context
The village is a testimony to a complex maritime society. The epidemics introduced by colonization cause a demographic catastrophe in the 19th century and contribute to the abandonment of the village as a permanent residence. The site remains a living Haida territory, not a trace of a disappeared people.
Why is this place spiritual?
Posts, houses, clans, ancestors and non-human beings belong to specific cultural relationships. The natural degradation of some poles can be understood as part of their cycle, under the responsibility of the Haida authorities.
What the landscape makes you feel
Access is remote and framed. Rainforest, shoreline, remains and presence of Watchmen give the stay a depth impossible to separate from reception and local rules.
Energy, atmosphere and feelings
Talking about universal energy would trivialize Haida cultural sovereignty. Orabel favors the notions of relationship, memory, territory and responsibility.
Discover with respect
- Access only according to Gwaii Haanas' authorizations and terms.
- Follow the Haida Gwaii Watchmen.
- Do not touch, reproduce or interpret motifs without context.
Sources
