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Haida Gwaii Totem Poles
The magnificent totem poles in the Haida village of SGANG GWAAY were photographed c. 1890 (right)
on Haida Gwaii, an island archipelago off the Northwest Coast of British Columbia (BC). "Haida culture is our relationship to
the land in its totality. . . everything depends on everything else. The old forests of Haida Gwaii have sustained and continue
to sustain our way of life. In the past fifty years, industrial logging has transformed the landscape of Haida Gwaii from
diverse old forest to young, even - aged stands of one or two species. The major river systems that once provided Haida
villages with salmon; large cedars for longhouses and monumental art; and, plants for food, medicines, fiber and animal
habitat have been eradicated by logging without consideration for these values" Haida Nation. |
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SGANG GWAAY, Haida Gwaii, c. 1890
Photo: BC Archives |
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