Ancient Sites & Haida Spirits

Before visiting the Haida sites, we took a required orientation session at the Haida Heritage Center – a waterfront complex filled with a world-class collection of Haida poles, masks, carvings, and other treasures. Our days on Haida Gwaii had a rare authenticity. The orientation session turned out to be private since there were no other visitors.  In Old Masset (where many of today’s surviving Haida live in weathered cottages on a windswept point over Dixon Entrance), we stumbled upon the outdoor studio of artist Jim Hart.  (And later learned that he’s one of the most acclaimed contemporary Haida artists working today, with work in the collections at UBC, Victoria Art Museum, etc.)

Jim Hart directing carving of massive cedar pole for UBC - incredible!!

Old cedar totems onshore at K'uuna Llnagaay

Leaving Sandspit, we made a downwind run (with full sails and a steady 15+ knots) toward Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve.  We were thrilled and a little nervous anchoring off our first site, K’uuna Llnagaay, since the anchorage was pretty exposed, and we were worried about turning the big diesel off. But we did, and went ashore.  We were fortunate to get a private tour with the watchman stationed there, Freeman.   We saw both house poles and mortuary poles, and learned many things about the Haida’s matriarchal society.  

The mortuary poles, designed as an identification system honoring chiefs of both clans and sub-clans, are meant to be temporal, disintegrating over time.  The Haida believe that only when the graying poles finally fall back to the earth, will the deceased chief’s spirit be fully released.  We passed one pole that had just blown over in March, soon to be added to the moss-covered relics around the site.  Walking gingerly between the massive carved poles on the spongy grass, with the sound of sea lapping rock, soft wind in the trees, and the scent of cedar and fresh salt air was a profoundly moving and deeply spiritual experience, like stepping into eternity itself...   a shared experience neither of us will soon forget.

Wonderful carved eagle wing, cedar mortuary pole.

 Haida Watchman, Freeman, and Jeff check out  Haida Longhouse site.

It was thrilling and very humbling.  Especially when we got back aboard Heron and once again, the engine wouldn’t start. After much swearing and cursing and banging on the solenoid (for which we apologize to the Haida spirits), the old Yanmar finally rumbled to life and we raised the sails en route to a more sheltered anchorage.  An extraordinary day! 

Next Stop....

S’Gang Gwaay Heritage Site, North America's largest collection of standing totem poles in their original location.

Anchoring off S’Gang Gwaay, left the motor running! Again, aside from Haida Watchman, only ones there... incredible.

Wing over Haida Chief Carved Likeness

Grizzly Pole

Price for all this fun:  Working on the water maker again.

Yep:  we discovered the first day into our 4-day wilderness sail to the ancient sites that our water maker had gone dark, no power to the controls.  Jeff checked all of the connections and all seemed fine; sadly, we only had 1/4 tank of water!!! (With Capt. Jeff instituting "navy" showers, however, it lasted.)  Finally, we found the blown fuse, got the water flowing again, and sorted out the cause of the electrical issue.  Rest of the trip, the Spectra worked great.