History, Haida Gwaii
Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada

Haida Gwaii, Queen Charlotte Islands, first was the home to the proud Haida people for centuries. For thousands of years, prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the forests and oceans were the livelihood and the spiritual foundation for the Haida people. During this period of Haida history the First Nation population living throughout the Queen Charlotte Islands was an estimated 7,000 people strong.

In 1774, the way of life for the remote Haida people was about to drastically change when a European explorer, Juan Perez, discovered the beautiful islands. Followed by, in 1787, another British explorer named Captain George Dixon who later named the islands after his ship, the Queen Charlotte.

The coming together of cultures, brought trade and disease. By the 1830's a smallpox epidemic swept down on the Haida people. A once strong 7,000 people was now dwindled down to just over 500. The decline in numbers wiped out villages forcing them to relocate and combine resources.

First was the Cape Ball and Rose Spit Villages moving to Skidegate in 1850 followed by the Cumshewa in 1889. But after all was said and done, Skidegate and Masset Villages were the only villages housing the Haida people. The combination of villages living in Skidegate and Masset brought a combination of cultures, language and stories together - each village arriving with its own chief.

During this period of time, the provincial government was encouraging settlers to move to the Queen Charlotte Islands. The early European settlers decided to live, in what is now Naikoon Park because of the low lying land and farming opportunities. The poor drainage, harsh climate, poor access to markets and World War One toppled the settlers and by the depression in the 1930s the homesteads were abandoned.

Today, both Haida and other cultures live together in the Queen Charlottes. The main industries being forestry, fishing and tourism. The Haida art is gaining mass attention as some of the finest First Nation art in the world. Today there are more communities to enjoy including Masset, Port Clements, Tlell, Skidegate, Queen Charlotte City and Sandspit, B.C., Canada.