The archipelago that makes up Gwaii Haanas National Park, miles off the coast of British Columbia, is untouched by roads and joint-run by the government and the Haida people.
A kayaking expedition is the ideal way to experience its thermal pools, fjords, and traditional villages characterized by longhouses and totem poles.
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area, and Haida Heritage Site, usually referred to simply as Gwaii Haanas is located in southernmost Haida Gwaii (formerly known as Queen Charlotte Islands), 130 kilometres (81 miles) off the mainland of British Columbia, Canada.
Gwaii Haanas protects an archipelago of 138 islands, the largest being Moresby Island and the southernmost being Kunghit Island. “Gwaii Haanas” means “Islands of Beauty” in X̱aayda kíl, the language of the Haida people.
The Haida Heritage Site is within the territory of the Haida people, who have lived in Haida Gwaii for at least 14,000 years. Ḵ’aygang.nga (the Haida canon of oral histories) say Haida lived in Gwaii Haanas when the first trees arrived at Xaagyah Gwaay.yaay (Bolkus Islands) as glaciers retreated. Pollen samples indicate trees first arrived 14,500 years ago. Wikipedia