Canada
SGang Gwaay
SG̱ang Gwaay holds the remains of traditional cedar longhouses and carved poles of the Haida.
This former village on the eastern side of Anthony Island was inhabited until the late 19th century. It still has a place in the traditions of the Haida culture. It has the largest collection of Haida totem poles in their original locations, many celebrated as great works of art.
Community Perspective: this is a remote place at the far southern end of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. Jay recently delivered a full report on the experience of visiting (“the poles are still standing … but the fine details on the poles continue to fade"), including the practicalities of getting there.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- SGang Gwaay (ID: 157)
- Country
- Canada
- Status
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Inscribed 1981
Site history
History of SGang Gwaay
- WHS Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
- iii
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- pc.gc.ca — Parks Canada
- en.wikipedia.org — Wikipedia on Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
News Article
- Sept. 18, 2013 theprovince.com — Parks Canada poison-bombing rats in Haida Gwaii
Community Information
- Community Category
- Archaeological site: Pre-Columbian
Travel Information
Seasonal WHS
Guided Tour Only
Recent Connections
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Most Remote Cultural WHS
hub Vancouver, requires a flight to San… -
Untranslated Toponyms
Gwaay is an island in Haida -
Guided Tour Only
You can visit Gwaii Haanas NP on your o…
Connections of SGang Gwaay
- Geography
- Trivia
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Minority communities
Haida people -
Dubbed as another WHS
Haida Gwaii, the “Galapagos Island of Canada”See www.vogue.com
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Cultural sites taking up an entire island
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- Architecture
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Vernacular architecture
large cedar long houses, together with a number of carved mortuary and memorial poles, illustrate the art and way of life of the Haida (AB ev) -
Wooden architecture
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- World Heritage Process
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Extensions on Tentative List
Gwaii Haanas -
Inscribed on a single criterion only
iii. to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared
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- Human Activity
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Language isolate
Haida (isolate is controversial, sometimes connected to Na-Dene)See en.wikipedia.org
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Masks
Among the Haida, masks were used mostly by members of the secret societies.
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- WHS on Other Lists
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Cultural WHS set within an IUCN recognised protected area
Gwaii Haanas And Haida Heritage Site National Park Reserve, IUCN category II (National Park)
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- Timeline
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Built in the 19th Century
"Frozen" after the permanent inhabitants left in the late 19th century
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- Visiting conditions
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Most Remote Cultural WHS
hub Vancouver, requires a flight to Sandspit and at least taking part in a 2-day boat tour to get to the right island -
Seasonal WHS
only has tours from April to September -
Guided Tour Only
You can visit Gwaii Haanas NP on your own and private yachts/boats are often seen. However, you MUST contact a Watchman to be allowed to visit SG̱ang Gwaay and must remain with the tour while within the core zone.
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- WHS Names
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Untranslated Toponyms
Gwaay is an island in Haida -
Name changes
A series of changes which has resulted in the "extinction" of the original name - "Sgang Gwaay" started off as "Anthony Island" and offically passed through "Sgang Gwaay (Anthony Island)" before reaching its current title!
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News
- theprovince.com 09/18/2013
- Parks Canada poison-bombing rats i…
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.Community Reviews
Show full reviews
We visited on July 25, 2023. Following the information shared by Jay T. (thank you so much). We took a four day tour with Moresby Explorers and reached SG̱ang Gwaay in the afternoon of the second day. We were lucky to have a watchman present at the site, he even sang to us a couple songs on a traditional drum. He made good jokes but he was also defensive and sometimes aggressive (and he admitted to it). He contradicted himself sometimes and admitted that he didn't know much of how things worked in the Haida society (because nobody really knows to this day).
The only thing that I can add to what Jay T said above is that our guide mentioned that Moresby Explorers is trying this year a two day trip to SG̱ang Gwaay. Considering the distance it would be a major undertaking in a zodiac especially if the weather is anything less than good. But probably the cost would be more accessible. For the two of us flights return Vancouver to Sandspit, two nights in B&B, before and after the tour, plus the four day tour came close to 7000 Canadian dollars and it took 6 days.
The picture shows the only house that you can "visit" there.
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To be clear, SGang Gwaay is ONLY the site on what used to be called Anthony Island and getting here takes either your own yacht/boat or do a tour. The tours will visit a lot in Gawaii Haanas (another tentative site on its own that expands a LOT) and try to include the world heritage site although you aren't guaranteed if they are busy. My low review score, which you will have seen right way and I'm sure you are wondering why, is because this is a very small site of the Hadai nation and it should be extensive. In fact I didn't even like the poles so much and the remains of houses on SGang Gwaay and I found other sites like Tanu more rewarding to visit. To make it clear: this site is for cultural parts on the island, NOT the wonderful park. I'd definitely give Gwaii Haanas a five star rating when it is inscribed because the cedar forests, primal and untouched territories are a dream come true for someone like me. In retrospective the visit was one of the low-lights of the 4-day tour.
So for this review I'll stick to ONLY the site in the zone. Your tour operator (I also went with Moresby Explorers by the way, clearly a good choice!) will contact the Watchman on the site to arrange a time. If they are busy then you have to wait. Only ~15 people are allowed on the site per visit. The Haida …
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The poles are still standing. It has been over fifteen years since the last review of SG̱ang Gwaay, but the remarkably carved memorial and mortuary poles that led to this site being inscribed on the World Heritage Site are still in place. Weathering and decay are taking their natural toll on the village, as the fine details on the poles continue to fade. As far as the Haida people who populate the islands of Haida Gwaii are concerned, however, this is an expected part of life and should not be prevented.
Haida art became particularly well known worldwide through the craftsmanship of Haida artist and conservationist Bill Reid, whose lineage traces to the village of T'aanuu in Haida Gwaii. Bill salvaged many poles from villages throughout the islands and introduced Haida art to a global audience. His work has been featured on the Canadian 20 dollar bill, and one of his most famous sculptures, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, sits in front of the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC. When the World Heritage Site committee inscribed SG̱ang Gwaay on the World Heritage Site list in 1981, the choice of this village to represent Haida culture was in no small part due to the intricate carvings on the poles that so well represented Haida heritage and craftsmanship.
So what can be seen at SG̱ang Gwaay as of late summer 2022? Several mortuary and memorial poles still line the beach in front of the village. Mortuary poles were sets of …
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I recently went on a kayaking trip to SGaang Gwaii and found it to be an fascinating place. The old totem poles and long house were great to see as they will not be there much longer.The Hiada people believe they came from the earth and that they should return to the earth. They are located on the southern part of the Queen Charlotte Islands. I found a travel company on the internet located in the Charlottes. About the only way to get down to SGaang Qwaii is to use one of these companies as the last road is 100 miles to the north. We also stopped at Skedans an equally impressive site and should not be missed. I highly recommend going you will not be disappointed. Don't forget to ask about the hot springs.
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