It might be said that it is our likenesses in sharing a common vision that brings the Rediscovery family together, but it is our differences that keeps us together. more, This location was reported permanently closed. The Haida people are the Haida people because of the land and the sea around us. At each camp, knowledge transfer between Kaay.yas (Elders) and youth takes place, which has innumerable benefits including: cultural revitalization, language transfer, and protecting and documenting oral histories. We come from a strong, Haida people that were colonized; their language was taken away, and how they gather foods. P: 778.260.1707E: swanbayrediscovery@gmail.comBox 1383, Skidegate, Haida Gwaii V0T 1S1. Did a few hours tour with Andrew. The program is overseen by Swan Bay Rediscovery Society, and managed by Xiihliikingang (April Churchill), former Vice President of the Council of the Haida Nation, and an accomplished Haida weaver. Naajuuwa (Missy McDonald) says the camps are especially important in the context of Haida oral tradition. It also ensured co-management and decision making for all the lands and waters of Haida Gwaii. The film offers educators innovative teaching methods and will stimulate discussion about the natural world and indigenous culture.Located at the north-west tip of the Haida Gwaii, on a long sandy beach (TAALAN STLANG), is the most isolated youth camp in the world. Swan Bay Rediscovery Program - Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve The Nations leadership recognized that the values being instilled in youth through the Rediscovery camps were essential to developing a workforce with the ability to effectively steward their territories. 7. Participants at both Taalan Stlang and Swan Bay participate in the solo, which is followed the next evening by a celebration where youth vote to decide the recipient of theGuudang Xyuuwid (Stone Ribs) award. He was friendly, informative, and a pleasure to spend time with. We have chosen for ourselves some rather all encompassing, and some might say too pie-in-the-sky, lofty goals. My sister and I recently took our 82 year old mother on her 'bucket list' trip to Haida Gwaii! 'Drawing on the strength of Haida culture and the wisdom of the elders, with a philosophy of Yahgudang (respect) and love for each other and the Earth, Rediscovery aims to empower the youth of all ages to discover the strength within themselves; the connections between cultures and the natural world.' Registration Open! Is Andrew still giving tours? Xitwan Jadaa (Rosemary Hart) says that having the camps powered by solar energy provides an opportunity for youth to learn: Being off-grid, this will be a great opportunity to teach our youth about energy. Material goods could come and go, happily, without regret or attachment in the reciprocal gift exchange that was the potlatch. All experiences the company provides follow protocols that honour the seven Haida stewardship laws. 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Haida Gwaii The camp fees are subsidized through partnerships with Gwaii Trust, the Council of the Haida Nation, and conservation finance available through Coast Funds. Wilderness activities, blended with native culture, served to develop and strengthen feelings of confidence and self-worth for native and non-native participants alike. The Honourable Steven Guilbeault Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Message from the President and Chief Executive Officer. If we dont protect it, there wont be an us anymore. Henley is back in Haida Gwaii to talk about his autobiographical book, Raven Walks Around the World. The program is jointly funded by Parks Canada, the Council of the Haida Nation, and the Province of British Columbia, and between 2011 and 2014, was also supported with conservation finance from Coast Funds. The Swan Bay Rediscovery Program is a cultural camp where youth learn about Haida cultural skills and knowledge while acquiring new life skills, self-esteem and confidence. Recently, Rediscovery was called upon by a group in Belfast, Northern Ireland to share the secrets of its success in bridging the bitter divisions between Protestant and Catholic youth who are descendents of generations of bloody sectarian violence. All rights reserved. We learned about history, ecology, biology, geography and very important information about First Nations. Exciting times for - Rediscovery T'aalan Stl'ang | Facebook Rediscovery started in 1978 on the remote shores of the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). To discover the strength of cultural traditions. Since that time, the Haida Rediscovery Camp has become a global model for cultural revitalization. Thom Henley, in an interview, says that Rediscovery couldnt possibly have gotten off the ground without the [Haida] Elders legitimizing it., But Kaay.yas (Elders) have done more than provide their support for the camp from afar, they have travelled the three-and-a-half-hour boat ride to be with the youth and impart their knowledge to the next generation of leaders. The co-management agreement meant that the stewardship responsibility of Haida Gwaii was returning to the people who had managed it for millennia. It was a completely different bunch of people. P: 778.260.1707E: swanbayrediscovery@gmail.comBox 1383, Skidegate, Haida Gwaii V0T 1S1. 6 min read Known as the Canadian Galpagos for its endemic wildlife, including the ubiquitous Sitka deer visible along the islands' only main road, this 155-mile-long, torch-shaped archipelago. Haida Gwaii is a group of beautiful, remote islands located off the northern coast of British Columbia, Canada. Meziadin Gas Station. Can you find them? To have been invited into his home, in the presence of his family, to watch as he carved, to hear how he honed his thoughts, each a story as sharp as a knife, was a privilege I wont soon forget. These, too, are decorated with heraldry to honor the one being remembered. Youth visit important cultural spaces like the triple mortuary pole at Kyuusda village, and village sites throughout Gwaii Haanas including century-old remains of multi-tiered longhouses dug into the earth atTaanuu Llnagaay(Tanu),Kuuna Llnagaay(Skedans),SGang Gwaay(Anthony Island),Gandll Kin Gwaay.yaay(Hotspring Island), andHlkyahGawGa(Windy Bay). It was as though a new wind had blown through the hearts of the Haida. Their subject? Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information. She recalls that her nanaay (grandmother), moved away from Haida Gwaii and started telling people she was Italian. More than half of the land is now protected. Visiting Haida Gwaii, Canada's most mysterious islands | CNN A tirelessly prolific artist, Jim shared, withimmense grace and warmth, his plans fora dozen new projects, each more monumental and ambitious than the last. The award-winning film was released in 1984, broadcast nationally on CBC TV and internationally in over 70 countries. Who was the carver in old MAssett doing the sculptures for the Canucks at the Rogers arena?? We got to see many exciting attractions that I'm sure most tourists would never see. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, industrial clear-cut logging was ravaging the old-growth forests and salmon-bearing rivers of Haida Gwaii and the Haida saw this as an existential threat to their cultural legacy and future. Rediscovery.org About Want to keep your memory sharp? It is easy for all of us to get caught up on the petty, day to day issues which plague our own lives, our families, communities and nations, and lose sight of our broader vision to create a better world. Detected by studying rapidly spinning dead stars, these giant ripples of spacetime likely came from merging supermassive black holesand they may reveal clues about the nature of the universe. Join Facebook to connect with Rediscovery Haida Gwaii and others you may know. Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page. House poles, carved flat in the back to rest easily against the facade of the long house, feature the heraldic crests of the familyRaven, Eagle, Frog, Bearas an aristocratic European clan might display its coat of arms. As an example, Xitwan Jadaa (Rosemary Hart) points to the cost for transporting youth, crew, and gear to the remote location: $5,000 for a roundtrip journey. Xiihliikingang (April Churchill), who manages the Swan Bay camp, agrees. Today, 34 Rediscovery camps can be found in Canada, the United States, England, Sweden, Norway, and Thailand. We have had youth and volunteers from back east, from the USA, internationally, to share their different cultures and . Its success is a living tribute to countless people sharing a mission and coming together from many widely divergent communities. Rediscovery continues to expand and touch the lives and hearts of people all over the world, in profound or subtle ways. Heres how he lost the colonies. We stopped for lunch at Moon over Naiku - great food and interesting location. We need to see these differences as healthy in our dealings with one another whether it be at a Council Fire circle with participants, a camp staff meeting or a formal gathering with the Council of Directors. Get the inside story from scientific researchers and special guest speakers on their work in Gwaii Haanas. Andrew our guide was the informative, friendly, helpful, considerate and extrememly knowledgeable about Haida Gwaii. Most laughed it off, saying it could never be done, but today that line is the northern frontier of Gwaii Haanas, the national park we will begin to explore tomorrow. It was a real treat that I highly recommend. The collapse of industrial logging has in fact coincided with a revitalization of Haida culture that few could have anticipated when the whine of chainsaws overpowered all other sounds in the forest. Haida Elders play a key role in sharing knowledge of their culture and bring dignity and wisdom to the program. Rediscovery co-founder Thom Henley returns to Haida Gwaii with new Swan Bay Rediscovery Program is a summer cultural camp experience in Gwaii Haanas for Haida and other youth from all communities on Haida Gwaii and beyond. People might be right next to them and dont even see them, one expert says. I still remember many of the things I learned on his tour. Divested of her status, ostracized socially, and denied even the right to gather food from traditional sources, Linda found herself in limbo, both psychologically and materially. She refused to acknowledge who she was.. These cool teenagers got off the boat, they were hugging everybody, thanking everybody. Activities, excursions, entrance/guide fees and transfers are included Our program is open to all youth around the world. The camp immerses participants in outdoor activities to support development of cultural, stewardship, survival, health, physical, and social skills and knowledge. Lunch, Wine Country Small-Group Tour from San Francisco with Tastings, Wroclaw 1-Day Giant Mountains, Karpacz & Palaces Valley Pvt Tour, Toubkal National Park & Atlas Mountains Day Trip from Marrakech Including Lunch. For in the final analysis it will be our differences more than our common ground that will provide the fertile soil for us to sow seeds of respect and understanding the very soul of Rediscovery. Haida leadership determined that cultural revitalization must start with the Nations youth. The landmark protocol helped protect 53 per cent of the Haida Gwaiis land-base, and 72 per cent of its foreshore. Hospitality is a universal trait of culture at which the Haida excel. How many feet have felt the wind whip the waves of the Pacific and the silky sand of Taalan Stlang between their toes? Attention has long focused on the many . 4-Night Stay | Haida House - Discover Haida Gwaii - Haida Tourism Projects took place in a variety of sectors including forestry, non-timber forest products, fisheries, recreation, tourism, wildlife management, and cultural access. Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands), Canada, HAIDA GWAII DISCOVERY DAY TOURS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Prices), Naikoon Provincial Park: Tickets & Tours, So Miguel East Full Day Tour with Furnas Including Lunch, Bayir, Turgut and Orhaniye Village Day Trip from Marmaris, Creepy Cambridge - Cambridge's Most Entertaining Ghost Walk, Half day mountain villages 4x4 Buggy Jeep Adventure incl. They are able to visit sites of ecological and cultural importance like Taanuu Llnagaay(Tanu),Kuuna Llnagaay(Skedans),SGang Gwaay(Anthony Island),Gandll Kin Gwaay.yaay(Hotspring Island), andHlkyahGawGa(Windy Bay). If we dont protect it, there wont be an us anymore. The camps connection to the well-being of Haida Gwaii is undeniable, because stewardship is at the core of Haida values. With the worlds population (increasing by 2.7 people per second) putting unprecedented demands on finite resources and testing the limits of human tolerance, and with the majority of humanity now residing in cities more detached from Nature than ever before, the vision weve set for ourselves can often feel overwhelming. Why you should seek out vinsanto, Santorini's beloved sweet wine, Where to stay in Sacramento, California's food-loving capital, A self-guided campervanning safari through South Africa & Eswatini, The coast of Haida Gwaii, an archipelago off the coast of British Columbia that has been inhabited by a people known as the Haida for as long as 13,000 years. Forty years ago, the Haida Nation set out to reconnect youth with Haida culture after colonization cleaved many citizens from their values and practices. He was the last king of America. He went at whatever pace we wanted. Andrew is engaging and has a great sense of humour, never a dull moment on this tour and we were fascinated each day by what we saw and learned about the area. Naajuuwa (Missy McDonald) also points out that cultural benefits resonate beyond the confines of camp: [Youth] learn something and they bring it back to their parents or their grandparents that have not had that experience, and have disjointed themselves from the culture.. All rights reserved, Travel to Haida Gwaii with National Geographic Expeditions, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In previous years, the camps received solar power through a partnership between Swiilawiid SustainabilitySociety, a local non-profit; Bullfrog Power; and a grant from Gwaii Trust Society. But she had chosen instead to marry in the modern way, a love marriage with a non-Haida she had met at a logging camp. Who was the carver in Old Masset doing the carvings fir the CAnucks at Rogers arena? Taaw.ga Halaa Leeyga (May Russ) wrote, in a Coast Funds report, The aim of the camps is to get the youth back on the lands and waters of Haida Gwaii and to give them the experience required to understand the environment and to learn how our ancestors survived on the lands and waters., Additionally, the camps operate on solar power, decreasing emissions and teaching environmental values.