Travel + Leisure India & South Asia — October 2017

travelandleisureindia.intravelandleisureindia.in 129127

There were once 26 longhouses on Skedans,
each occupied by multiple families. Now evidence
of that ancient populace has been reduced to the faint
outlines of animal symbols on a group of towering,
weathered totem poles: eagles, frogs, and killer
whales. Unlike many of the world’s cultural heritage
sites, the poles of K’uuna Llnagaay are not roped off
and protected; instead, in accordance with Haida
beliefs, they have been left to collapse back into the
earth. I’d seen totem poles my whole life, but never
ones of this magnitude, left to disintegrate. Up close,
even the cracks in the graying, weathered wood
seemed to hold meaning.
As Mike Willie said, an oral history needs to be
repeated to ensure it is propagated, scattered around
the world. The story of being on that beach, in the
presence of those momentous totems and longhouse
remains, is connected to stories that are inextricably
linked to the geography of BC. This place can never
serve simply as a backdrop, and travelling to these
beaches, through this water, forges those links again
and again. In this province, listening pays off.
The scenery’s great, but the stories are even better.

GETTING THERE

Masset and Sandspit are

the two main airports on the

islands of Haida Gwaii, off the

coast of British Columbia.

The Port Hardy Airport offers

access to Port Hardy and Port

McNeill. All are accessible via

a connection in Vancouver.

TOUR OPERATORS

Haida Style Expeditions

Explore the waters of Haida

Gwaii on a 28-foot Zodiac.

Summer time cultural tours

include visits to the villages of

Skedans, Windy Bay, and more.

From US$275 per person;

haidastyle.com

Sea Wolf Adventures Learn

about Kwakwaka’wakw culture

throughout the Broughton

Archipelago. You may spot a

few grizzlies along the way.

From US$179 per person;

seawolf adventures.ca

LODGING

Cluxewe Resort Twelve cabins

near Port McNeill with full

kitchens and views of the

Broughton Strait. Cabins from

US$125; cluxeweresort.com

Jags Beanstalk A collection

of comfortable rooms upstairs

from a café. Take advantage of

the bike and kayak rentals.

Skidegate; doubles from

US$125; jagsbeanstalk.com

Skwachàys Lodge This

boutique hotel in downtown

Vancouver has 18 uniquely

designed suites filled with

aboriginal art. Doubles from

US$189; skwachays.com

RESTAURANTS

Cowbay Café Pasta, pizza,

and locally-sourced seafood,

accompanied by B.C. wines

and beautiful waterfront views.

Prince Rupert; entrées

US$9–US$22; cowbaycafe.com

Salmon n’ Bannock Inspired

by First Nations cuisine, the

menu at this Vancouver favorite

features hearty fare like boar

meatballs and variations on

bannock, the traditional First

Nations unleavened bread.

Entrées US$17–US$35;

salmonandbannock.net

THE DETAILS

"We need to be vocal,"

my guide told me. "We need to talk

about our evolution and

BRING PEOPLE CLOSER

TO OUR REALITY."

A pole on the grounds of a

waterfront home on Haida Gwaii.

Right: Wooden masks carved by

the Kwakwaka’wakw First

Nation on display at the U’mista

Cultural Centre in Alert Bay, off

Vancouver Island.