Canada

SGang Gwaay

WHS Score 2.9 Votes 7 Average 3.57

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.

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Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
SGang Gwaay (ID: 157)
Country
Canada
Status
Inscribed 1981 Site history
History of SGang Gwaay
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • iii
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Archaeological site: Pre-Columbian
Travel Information
Seasonal WHS
Seasonal WHS
only has tours from April to September
Guided Tour Only
Guided Tour Only
You can visit Gwaii Haanas NP on your own and …
Recent Connections
View all (17) .
Connections of SGang Gwaay
Geography
Trivia
Architecture
World Heritage Process
Human Activity
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
Visiting conditions
  • 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.
WHS Names
  • 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!
News
theprovince.com 09/18/2013
Parks Canada poison-bombing rats i…
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.

Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 16/10/23.

Mihai Dascalu

Sgang Gwaay

SGang Gwaay (Inscribed)

SGang Gwaay by Mihai Dascalu

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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First published: 25/09/23.

Zoë Sheng

Sgang Gwaay

SGang Gwaay (Inscribed)

SGang Gwaay by Zoë Sheng

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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First published: 22/09/22.

Jay T

Sgang Gwaay

SGang Gwaay (Inscribed)

SGang Gwaay by Jay T

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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First published: 14/08/06.

Anonymous

Sgang Gwaay

SGang Gwaay (Inscribed)

Photo in the Public Domain

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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