Notes on the Blessing of Haida Gwaii

 

                                                       Ruth stepped off 33 paces around this giant

We arrived back in Toronto yesterday morning, around 5 AM, after the wonderful experience of a week on Haida Gwaii. This group of lush, astonishingly beautiful islands is about 750 kilometres north of Vancouver and as far west as you can get in Canada. Alaska is only 65 or 70 kilometres from the northern tip and there is a lodge called Alaska View, although I imagine it's a rare day that this is a reality. 

We knew that we would be captivated by the scenery of this Amazon of the North temperate rain forest. It met and maybe exceeded our expectations because the actual experience was profound. We were often walking alone in wondrous forest or along beaches that seemed to go on forever.

                                       Bear fleeing scary Ontarians up a tree on the Spirit Lake trail

We were also hoping that this would be a spiritual experience and it truly was. We regularly cried "glory" or versions thereof with the tremendous diversity of creatures great and small. We saw bald eagles at every turn, sandhill cranes, sea lions and sea otters. Even the slugs were jaw-droppers, some at least 15 centimetres in length. 

Last Sunday morning we found our way to a beach recommended by a local who it turned out had studied at Loyalist College in Belleville, went to Haida Gwaii for a ten-month nursing placement, and is still there 22 years later. We went to Bump-on-a-Log Ecumenical Church, where two are or more are gathered together. The "more" were sandhills cranes foraging behind us, an eagle before us, and a trinity of loons in the water. 

What was difficult during our time there was finding out more about the great harm done by Christ's church to the Haida people over time. Pastors and priests convinced Haida converts that they would not get to heaven unless they destroyed totem poles. The Potlatch Proclamation of 1883 forbade the collective celebration which was vital to Haida culture and wasn't lifted until 1961. It included restricting gatherings to no more than four people, required men to cut their hair, and wouldn't allow anyone to speak the Haida language or teach customs. These were practiced in secret but had almost faded away.. The terrible irony is that gatherings would take place under the cover of Christmas and Easter, not unlike the way the first Christians would celebrate the birth of Christ during the Roman festival of Saturnalia to avoid detection. 

Despite this grim legacy we appreciated the warmth and welcome of the fiercely independent Haida people with whom we chatted.  There is a "rising tide" of Haida culture and independence which has become a model for Indigenous peoples around the world. They have managed to forge new agreements with the governments of British Columbia and Canada despite being only 2,500 people on the islands and perhaps 2,000 more in the diaspora. 

The Gaayhllxid/Gíihlagalgang "Rising Tide" Haida Title Lands Agreement upholds the nation's right over the land of Haida Gwaii under Section 35 of the Constitution — which affirms the rights of Indigenous people.

We travelled along the one main road of Graham Island, only two lanes wide and about 140 kilometres in length, as well as the ten kilometres of the road on Moresby Island, often seeing more deer than vehicles for long stretches. Our trip to and from Pearson airport was on the 401 with twelve lanes at times. It does beg the question, what or where is the true centre of this vast land of Canada we will celebrate this weekend?  Haida Gwaii may seem to be on the very edge of the world but it also feels as though it's at the heart of Creation. 

The Anglican priest Peter Hamel went to Haida Gwaii on a chance visit and returned to spend decades in ministry in the village of Masset. Hamel and his remarkable wife, Margo, were active environmentalists (he died earlier this year) and lovers of the Earth. They were also avid birders and celebrated the beauty around them. I wish we could have met them. 

                                         from Haida Gwaii: A Guide to BCs Island of the People

We are so grateful for this opportunity and are determined not to lose the sense of wonder we experienced. It's too easy to return to "real life" and forget that God, Three-in-One, has been revealed in unexpected places. 

I will share better photos but jetlag is still messing with my brain!

HAIDA WAYS OF BEING 

YAHGUUDANG/YAHGUDÁNG RESPECT

 Respect for each other and all living things is rooted in our culture. We take only what we need, we give thanks, and we acknowledge those who behave accordingly. 

AD KYANANG TLAAGANG/ .AHL KYÁANÁNG TLÁAGANG TO ASK FIRST 

We accept that not all areas and events are open to everyone. We ask permission before taking pictures of people and places, and follow all official orientations and guidelines. 

TLL YAHDA MAKE IT RIGHT 

We accept responsibility when we do wrong, we are all humans and make mistakes. We are mindful of our environmental footprint and impacts on the earth, air and water. We strive to leave everywhere we visit cleaner than when we arrived.

 GINA ‘WAADLUXAN GUD AD KWAAGID/ GINN ‘WÁADLUWAN GUD .AHL KWÁAGÍIDANG  EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON EVERYTHING ELSE 

We take only what is given and leave behind rocks, feathers, sand, and artifacts. We respect Haida Gwaii’s bounty, only taking what we need to feed ourselves today. We support local businesses and give back when we can.