I will respect Haida Gwaii and Haida Ways of Being during my visit.
Haida Gwaii is a spectacular place full of life and culture. Everyone in Haida Territories shares a responsibility to care for the Air, Ocean, Land and People.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE VISITING HAIDA GWAII
Are you planning to visit Haida Gwaii?
Here are 4 things to do before you arrive.
REVIEW the Haida Gwaii Visitor Orientation
SIGN the Haida Gwaii Visitor Pledge
CONTRIBUTE to the Haida Gwaii Stewardship Fund
LEARN MORE, arrive prepared, and tread lightly while here
HAIDA GWAII VISITOR ORIENTATION
Click here to download the PDF version of the Haida Gwaii Visitor Orientation
Haida Gwaii Pledge
XaaydaGa Xaaynang.ngaay, yaahgudang dang ad Xaayda Gwaay guu hll k’awkaa
Xaads Xíináangaa: Xaayda Gwáay díi .ahl stúujuus dluu díi an yahgúudángáasaang
I will respect Haida Gwaii and Haida Ways of Being during my visit
The Haida Nation is the rightful heir to Haida Gwaii. Haida citizens carry the inherent right to govern and steward our homeland. All people in Haida Territories hold a responsibility to protect this place for future generations. In return for your respectful actions, we will welcome you as guests to experience our Air, Ocean, Land and People.
Haida language is represented in the order of Xaayda Kil (Skidegate Haida) • Xaad Kíl (Old Massett Haida)
Yahguudang
Yahgudáng
Respect for all beings
Acknowledging Haida Title throughout Haida Gwaii, including rights
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Speaking kindly and listening thoughtfully
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Walking, driving, parking and camping only where permitted
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Keeping a safe distance from wildlife
Tll yahda
Tll yahda
Making it right
Accepting responsibility if I do wrong, we are all humans and may make mistakes
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Being mindful of my environmental footprint and my impacts on the earth, air and water
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Leaving everywhere I visit cleaner than when I arrived
Ad kyaanang
.Ahl kyáanáng tláagang
Ask permission first
Accepting that not all areas and events are open to visitors
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Asking permission before taking pictures of people and places
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Ensuring I follow all official orientations and guidelines
Gina ‘waadluxan gud ad kwaagid
Ginn ‘wáadluwaan gud .ahl kwáagíidang
Everything depends on everything else
Taking only what is given to me and leaving behind rocks, feathers, sand, and artifacts
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Respecting Haida Gwaii’s bounty, I will only take what I need to feed myself today
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Supporting local businesses and giving back where I can
Will you follow these Haida Ways of Being?
SIGN THE HAIDA GWAII PLEDGE!
Show your respect to Haida Gwaii Air, Ocean, Land and People by signing the Pledge!
Share your support for the pledge by following us on Instagram and tag us with #haidagwaiipledge!
HAIDA GWAII STEWARDSHIP FUND
With direction from Haida citizens, the Council of the Haida Nation has created a Stewardship Fund. This is a voluntary fund to support Air, Ocean, Land and People stewardship as it relates to tourism. We welcome any contributions towards this fund and recommend 1% of your total travel costs.
At this time, we are only taking donations by cheque.
Mail cheques to Council of the Haida Nation - Communications Program to PO Box 98, Daajing Giids, V0T 1S0.
Please make payee: Council of the Haida Nation, and memo: Haida Gwaii Stewardship Fund.
At this time, CHN cannot offer charitable tax receipts.
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES FOR FURTHER LEARNING
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Aguitis, Daina. Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art. Vancouver Art Gallery; Douglas and McIntyre; University of Washington Press, 2006.
Blackman, Margaret. During My Time; Florence Edenshaw Davidson, A Haida Woman. University of Washington Press, 1982.
Collison, Frank and McNamara, Maureen and Nelson, Jenny. Yakoun, River of Life: Haida Gwaii - Queen Charlotte Islands. Council of the Haida Nation, 1990.
Collison, Nika and Steedman, Scott. That Which Makes Us Haida: That Haida Language. Haida Gwaii Museum Press, 2011.
Collison, Nika. Athlii Gwaii - Upholding Haida Law at Lyell Island. Council of the Haida Nation;Locarno Press (distribution), 2018.
Collison, Nika (edited) and various Haida scholars (text). Gina Suuda Tl'l Xassii - Came to Tell Something: Art & Artist in Haida Society. Haida Gwaii Museum Press, 2014.
Jones, Kwiaawah and Ramsey, Heather. Gina Waadluxan Tluu - The Everything Canoe. Haida Gwaii Museum Press, 2010.
Jordan-Fenton, Christy, and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. Fatty Legs. Annick Press, 2010.
Ramsey, Heather. Monumental Poles of Skidegate. Haida Gwaii Museum Press, 2013.
Reid, Bill and Robert Bringhurst. The Raven Steals the Light. Douglas & McIntyre, 1996.
Sterling, Shirley. My Name is Seepeetza. Groundwood Books/House of Anasi Press, 1992
Swankey, Tom. Canada’s “War” of the Extermination of the Pacific. Dragon Heart Enterprises, 2012.
Swanton, John R. (recorded) and Boas, Franz (edited) . Contributions to the Ethnology of the Haida. E.j. Brill Ltd.; G.E. Stechert & Co., 1905.
Turner, Nancy J. Plants of Haida Gwaii: Third Edition. Harbour Publishing, 2021.
Williams-Davidson, Terri-Lynn. Out of Concealment-Female Supernatural Beings of Haida Gwaii. Heritage House; Bilingual edition, 2017.
Wright, Robin and Augitis, Daina. Charles Edenshaw. Vancouver Art Gallery; Black Dog Publishing, 2013.
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Council of the Haida Nation Website (2021) Council of the Haida Nation www.haidanation.ca
BC Earthquake Preparedness and Response (n.d.) Province of British Columbia www.gov.bc.ca
BC Tsunami Preparedness and Response (n.d.) Province of British Columbia. www2.gov.bc.ca
Constitution of the Haida Nation (October, 2018) Council of the Haida Nation. www.haidanation.ca
Whose Land (n.d.) Whose Land. www.whose.land
Go Haida Gwaii (2021) Misty Isles Economic Development Society. www.gohaidagwaii.ca
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. (April 2021) Parks Canada. www.pc.gc.ca/GwaiiHaanas
Haida Accord (May 2013). Council of the Haida Nation. www.haidanation.ca
Haida Gwaii Museum at Kay Llnagaay (1976) Haida Gwaii Museum. www.haidagwaiimuseum.ca
Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay (2008). Gwaalaaga Naay Corp. www.haidaheritagecentre.com
Haida Nation Legal Documents (n.d.) Council of the Haida Nation. www.haidanation.ca
Indian Act (1985). Canada Justice Laws Website. www.laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
Love Haida Gwaii (2021). Northern Development. www.lovenorthernbc.com
Residential Schools in Canada (September 2020). The Canadian Encyclopedia. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
Sharing our waters with kuu once again (June 2020). Council of the Haida Nation. www.haidanation.ca
Tide Times for Queen Charlotte (2021). Tide Forecast Website. Retrieved from www.tide-forecast.com
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2015). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. www.trc.ca
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007). United Nations. www.un.org
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Indian Horse – (Stephen Campanelli, 2017)
Rabbit Proof Fence- (Phillip Noyce, 2002)
SGaawaay K'uuna, Edge of the Knife- (Helen Haig-Brown, Gwaai Edenshaw, 2018)
We Were Children- (Tim Wolochatiuk, 2012)
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Misty Isles Economic Development Society www.mieds.ca
Council of the Haida Nation www.haidanation.ca
Haida Tourism www.haidatourism.ca
Go Haida Gwaii www.gohaidagwaii.ca
Contact us.
pledge@haidanation.com
(250) 559-4468
#1 Reservoir Road
HlGaagilda Skidegate, Haida Gwaii
V0T 1S1
We would like to say háw'aa • haawa thank you to Palau for initiating the Palau Pledge and being a leader in responsible travel.
The Haida Gwaii Pledge is endorsed by:
