Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Heading up-island the next day we stopped at the new Haida Gwaii Heritage Centre at
Kaay'llnagaay. The Haida Nation has been established on these islands for at least 12,000
years. The Heritage Centre has been designed to showcase their culture through a series
of longhouses. There is a “Saving Things House” with impressive exhibits that highlight
Haida art and ingenuity along with explaining how they met the everyday challenges of
living on Haida Gwaii through the centuries.
The “Performing House” will share Haida tradition through song, dance and storytelling
performances. We were there prior to the actual opening of the centre but even so a young
fellowwassittinginthislonghouse-styletheatrerelatingthehistoryofhisancestorsaswell
as his own experiences. There is also a carving shed and an Eating House and a Trading
House (gift shop) and the Bill Reid Bill Reid is a world renowned Haida artist. If you ever
come through the International Arrivals Terminal of the Vancouver International Airport
you will see the black canoe version of The Spirit of Haida Gwaii displayed in all its glory.
And it is glorious. So much so its image has been imprinted on Canadian $20 bills. To learn
more about the sculpture:
http://www.billreidfoundation.org/banknote/index.htm
During our visit staff and volunteers were very busy preparing for the grand opening in a
few weeks. Even so, they took time to be friendly and explain what we were looking at.
Some carvers were working on totem poles; others were putting the finishing touches on a
new canoe. It was interesting. The place is well worth a visit. Plan a full day if you want to
see it all and absorb an understanding of the history and culture of this remarkable people.
Further north we came to Tlell, reported to be a hotbed of artists and free thinkers. We en-
joyed some great coffee and baked goods at the Rising Bread Bakery there. The landscape
in this area is pastoral with rolling meadows full of grazing Herefords.
InPortClemens wepaid$2tovisitthemuseum-arepositoryofallthingsoldfromsewing
machines to apple corers to logging tools and photo albums. It was well worth a couple of
hours.
Masset is the big smoke at the top of the island. Here we stocked up on bread and milk
before heading east to Naikoon National Park on the far eastern edge of Graham Island.
This was the first and only time we paid to camp on the islands; $15. It is a beautiful
campground though with sites ranged along the edge of the open ocean. The beaches were
mostly rocky again, but oh what wonderful rocks.
The next morning we headed up to Tow Hill at the north end of the park. We took a well-
maintained trail to the Blow Hole, located on beds of black lava. It was about a 30 minute
walk each way through a mystical mossy forest. There are lots of great walking/hiking
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