Haida Gwaii
David McEown
Sitka Spruce tree encounter in Haida Gwaii
It is so inspiring to be back in Haida Gwaii, sketching the magnificent Sitka spruce and cedar trees, and learning more about the Haida people and the diverse wildlife that have thrived here for a very long time. I am thrilled to be invited as a Royal Canadian Geographical Society Travel Ambassador with Maple Leaf Adventures.
Before a busy day filled with inspiring natural and cultural excursions, I start painting at a calm 5:30 am, attempting to capture impressions of the sky, land, and sea. The Maple Leaf Adventures Cascadia catamaran is an incredibly stable platform to paint and photograph from in all weather conditions, and certainly more comfortable than the kayak trip I did on my first trip 29 years ago! The climate is perfect for watercolour, allowing time to blend edges. When it's really saturated with rain, I use very little water in the watercolour wash and let the mist make its mark on the paper.
"SGang Gwaay," 7 x 9 inches, watercolour
It was a dream come true to visit the extremely remote SGang Gwaay, a village site of the Haida people often known as Ninstints, in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site on Haida Gwaii on the North Coast of British Columbia. Guided by a Haida watchman interpreter, our small group had permission to take photos and sketch.
The beautiful moss-carpeted trail led to a protected cove that features a large collection of Haida mortuary and memorial poles in their original locations, facing the water and backed by weathered, moss-covered house frames that the Haida allow to succumb to the natural decay of the temperate rainforest climate.
Once, this place was a thriving community of 300 people, but by the 1880s, disease had decimated the population of SG̱ang Gwaay. Only remnants of the houses and poles, which are considered art masterworks of the Pacific Northwest, remain. The site is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and protected by the Haida watchman program.
Once back on board the ship, I finished a small sketch I drew from the beach, looking at the poles reflecting in the water. Having stepped foot in this place, I will never look at a pole in a museum the same way. Thank you to Maple Leaf Adventures for taking us there and to our Haida interpreter, Gaajiiaawa (Linda), for making us feel welcome and teaching us so much.