HAIDA GWAII PLEDGE
I will respect Haida Gwaii and Haida Ways of Being during my visit
Haida Gwaii is a spectacular place full of life and culture. Everyone in Haida Territories shares a responsibility to care for the Air, Ocean, Land and People.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE VISITING HAIDA GWAII
Are you planning to visit Haida Gwaii? Here are 4 things to do before you arrive.
- REVIEW the Haida Gwaii Visitor Orientation
- SIGN the Haida Gwaii Visitor Pledge
- CONTRIBUTE to the Haida Gwaii Stewardship Fund
- LEARN MORE, arrive prepared, and tread lightly while here
HAIDA GWAII VISITOR ORIENTATION
Click here to download the PDF version of the Haida Gwaii Visitor Orientation
HAIDA GWAII PLEDGE
XaaydaGa Xaaynang.ngaay, yaahgudang dang ad Xaayda Gwaay guu hll k’awkaa
Xaads Xíináangaa: Xaayda Gwáay díi .ahl stúujuus dluu díi an yahgúudángáasaang
I will respect Haida Gwaii and Haida Ways of Being during my visit
The Haida Nation is the rightful heir to Haida Gwaii. Haida citizens carry the inherent right to govern and steward our homeland. All people in Haida Territories hold a responsibility to protect this place for future generations. In return for your respectful actions, we will welcome you as guests to experience our Air, Ocean, Land and People.
Haida language is represented in the order of Xaayda Kil (Skidegate Haida) • Xaad Kíl (Old Massett Haida)
I will honour these Haida Ways of Being by…
Yahguudang
Yahgudáng
Respect for all beings
Acknowledging Haida Title throughout Haida Gwaii, including rights
•
Speaking kindly and listening thoughtfully
•
Walking, driving, parking and camping only where permitted
•
Keeping a safe distance from wildlife
Ad kyaanang
.Ahl kyáanáng tláagang
Ask permission first
Accepting that not all areas and events are open to visitors
•
Asking permission before taking pictures of people and places
•
Ensuring I follow all official orientations and guidelines
Tll yahda
Tll yahda
Making it right
Accepting responsibility if I do wrong, we are all humans and may make mistakes
•
Being mindful of my environmental footprint and my impacts on the earth, air and water
•
Leaving everywhere I visit cleaner than when I arrived
Gina ‘waadluxan gud ad kwaagid
Ginn ‘wáadluwaan gud .ahl kwáagíidang
Everything depends on everything else
Taking only what is given to me and leaving behind rocks, feathers, sand, and artifacts
•
Respecting Haida Gwaii’s bounty, I will only take what I need to feed myself today
•
Supporting local businesses and giving back where I can
Will you follow these Haida Ways of Being? SIGN THE HAIDA GWAII PLEDGE!
Show your respect to Haida Gwaii Air, Ocean, Land and People by signing the Pledge!
If the ‘SIGN’ button doesn’t work at first, scroll down a bit and then try again!
DOWNLOADABLE TOURISM ASSETS
HAIDA GWAII STEWARDSHIP FUND
With direction from Haida citizens, the Council of the Haida Nation has created a Stewardship Fund. This is a voluntary fund to support Air, Ocean, Land and People stewardship as it relates to tourism. We welcome any contributions towards this fund and recommend 1% of your total travel costs.
Donate securely via Square.
You can also mail cheques to Council of the Haida Nation – Communications Program. to PO Box 98, Daajing Giids, V0T 1S0.
For cheques, please make payee Council of the Haida Nation, and memoHaida Gwaii Stewardship Fund.
At this time, CHN cannot offer charitable tax receipts.
REFERENCES AND RESOURCES FOR FURTHER LEARNING
Aguitis, Daina. Raven Travelling: Two Centuries of Haida Art. Vancouver Art Gallery; Douglas and McIntyre; University of Washington Press, 2006.
Blackman, Margaret. During My Time; Florence Edenshaw Davidson, A Haida Woman. University of Washington Press, 1982.
Collison, Frank and McNamara, Maureen and Nelson, Jenny. Yakoun, River of Life: Haida Gwaii – Queen Charlotte Islands. Council of the Haida Nation, 1990.
Collison, Nika and Steedman, Scott. That Which Makes Us Haida: That Haida Language. Haida Gwaii Museum Press, 2011.
Collison, Nika. Athlii Gwaii – Upholding Haida Law at Lyell Island. Council of the Haida Nation;Locarno Press (distribution), 2018.
Collison, Nika (edited) and various Haida scholars (text). Gina Suuda Tl’l Xassii – Came to Tell Something: Art & Artist in Haida Society. Haida Gwaii Museum Press, 2014.
Jones, Kwiaawah and Ramsey, Heather. Gina Waadluxan Tluu – The Everything Canoe. Haida Gwaii Museum Press, 2010.
Jordan-Fenton, Christy, and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton. Fatty Legs. Annick Press, 2010.
Ramsey, Heather. Monumental Poles of Skidegate. Haida Gwaii Museum Press, 2013.
Reid, Bill and Robert Bringhurst. The Raven Steals the Light. Douglas & McIntyre, 1996.
Sterling, Shirley. My Name is Seepeetza. Groundwood Books/House of Anasi Press, 1992
Swankey, Tom. Canada’s “War” of the Extermination of the Pacific. Dragon Heart Enterprises, 2012.
Swanton, John R. (recorded) and Boas, Franz (edited) . Contributions to the Ethnology of the Haida. E.j. Brill Ltd.; G.E. Stechert & Co., 1905.
Turner, Nancy J. Plants of Haida Gwaii: Third Edition. Harbour Publishing, 2021.
Williams-Davidson, Terri-Lynn. Out of Concealment-Female Supernatural Beings of Haida Gwaii. Heritage House; Bilingual edition, 2017.
Wright, Robin and Augitis, Daina. Charles Edenshaw. Vancouver Art Gallery; Black Dog Publishing, 2013.
Council of the Haida Nation Website (2021) Council of the Haida Nation www.haidanation.ca
BC Earthquake Preparedness and Response (n.d.) Province of British Columbia www.gov.bc.ca
BC Tsunami Preparedness and Response (n.d.) Province of British Columbia. www2.gov.bc.ca
Constitution of the Haida Nation (October, 2018) Council of the Haida Nation. www.haidanation.ca
Whose Land (n.d.) Whose Land. www.whose.land
Go Haida Gwaii (2021) Misty Isles Economic Development Society. www.gohaidagwaii.ca
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. (April 2021) Parks Canada. www.pc.gc.ca/GwaiiHaanas
Haida Accord (May 2013). Council of the Haida Nation. www.haidanation.ca
Haida Gwaii Museum at Kay Llnagaay (1976) Haida Gwaii Museum. www.haidagwaiimuseum.ca
Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay (2008). Gwaalaaga Naay Corp. www.haidaheritagecentre.com
Haida Nation Legal Documents (n.d.) Council of the Haida Nation. www.haidanation.ca
Indian Act (1985). Canada Justice Laws Website. www.laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
Love Haida Gwaii (2021). Northern Development. www.lovenorthernbc.com
Residential Schools in Canada (September 2020). The Canadian Encyclopedia. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca
Sharing our waters with kuu once again (June 2020). Council of the Haida Nation. www.haidanation.ca
Tide Times for Queen Charlotte (2021). Tide Forecast Website. Retrieved from www.tide-forecast.com
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2015). Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. www.trc.ca
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007). United Nations. www.un.org
Indian Horse – (Stephen Campanelli, 2017)
Rabbit Proof Fence– (Phillip Noyce, 2002)
SGaawaay K‘uuna, Edge of the Knife- (Helen Haig-Brown, Gwaai Edenshaw, 2018)
We Were Children– (Tim Wolochatiuk, 2012)
Greetings/Conversation
English | Xaayda Kil | Xaad Kíl |
thank you | haawa | háw’aa |
good day | sii.ngaay ‘láa | sangée ‘láas |
good morning | sing.Gaay ‘láa | sáng.áay ‘láas |
good afternoon | sintaajiiGa ‘láa | sántajée salíi ‘láas |
good evening | singxyas ‘láa | sángyáas ‘láas |
How are you? | Gasing.uu dang Giidang? | Gasán.uu dáng Gíidang? |
Are you well/good? | Dang gwa ‘láa? | Dáng gu ‘laa? |
I am well/good | Dii ‘láa ga | Dii ‘láagang |
Where do you live? | Giin gii uu daa naa.uu? | Git’láan.gu dáng náagang? |
I live in ________. | _______ dii naa.uu ga. | _______.aa Hll náagang. |
Are you hungry? | Dang gwa k’ud? | Dáng gu k‘ud? |
yes | aa.nga | ‘ée / ‘áang |
no | gam | gám |
Animals and Birds
English | Xaayda Kil | Xaad Kíl |
raven | xuuya | yáahl |
eagle | Guud | Gúud |
ancient murrelet | sGin xaana | sGidaanáa |
goshawk | stads k’un | stads k’un |
deer | k’aad | k’áad |
bear | taan | táa.n |
frog | hlk’yan k’uust’an | hlk’yáan k’ust’áan |
black oystercatcher | sgaada.nga | sgadang |
land otter | sdllguu | sdlagu |
hummingbird | gldants’iiGid | dak’dak’diiyáa |
Fish and Ocean Life
English | Xaayda Kil | Xaad Kíl |
bull kelp | hlkyama | hlkáam |
coho | taay.yii | táayii |
Dungeness crab | k‘uust’an | k‘ust’áan |
grey whales | kun | kún |
halibut | xaaguu | xaguu |
herring | iinang | ‘íináang |
herring eggs on kelp | k’aaw | k’áaw |
humpback/finback whale | sGap | sgagúud |
killer whale | sGaana | sGáan |
octopus | naw | núu |
sealion | kay | káay |
Seaweed | sGyuu | sGyúu/sGíw |
spring salmon | t’aaGun | t’áaw’un |
urchin | guuding.ngaay | gúudangee |
Place Names
English | Xaayda Kil | Xaad Kíl |
Old Massett | – | Gaw Tlagée |
Tow Hill | – | Taaw Tldáaw |
Hiellen Village | – | Hl’yaalan ‘Lngée |
Langara Island | – | K’iis Gwáay |
Naden Harbour | – | Needan Gawée |
Port Clements | Gamadiis Llnagaay | ‘Wáan Kún |
Tlell Village | Tll.aal | – |
Skidegate | HlGaagilda | – |
Queen Charlotte | Daajing Giids | – |
Sandspit | K’il Kun | – |
Haina (Maude Island) | Xaayna Gwaay.yaay | – |
Islands of Beauty | Gwaii Haanas | – |
Family and General Terms
English | Xaayda Kil | Xaad Kíl |
mother and/or maternal aunt (speaking to) | awaay | ‘awáa |
grandmother (speaking to) | nanaay | náanii |
grandfather (speaking to) | chinaay | tsiníi |
paternal aunt (speaking to) | skáanaay | kanii |
maternal aunt (speaking to) | káaGaay | kágii |
Father and/or paternal uncle (male speaking to) | Gung.Gaay | Gungée |
father and/or paternal uncle (female speaking to) | haadaay | xáada |
chief | kilslaay | kílsdlaay |
female | jaa.ada | jáadaa |
male | iihll.nga | íihlangáa |
friend | hltaaxwii | tuwíi |
youth | hiit’aGan.iina | hat’án ‘ináas |
child | gidGa | gid |
baby | naanu | ts’úujúu |
Misty Isles Economic Development Society www.mieds.ca
Council of the Haida Nation www.haidanation.ca
Haida Tourism www.haidatourism.ca
Go Haida Gwaii www.gohaidagwaii.ca
Contact
We would like to say haw’aa • haawa thank you to Palau for initiating the Palau Pledge and being a leader in responsible travel.
The Haida Gwaii Pledge is endorsed by:
