Haida Gwaii Watchmen
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The Haida Gwaii Watchmen Program encourages young Haida to work alongside elders to protect and teach visitors about Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.[1] The program is co-managed by the Council of the Haida Nation and Parks Canada.[2] The Watchmen ensure that Haida cultural, historical, and natural tourism stays in the hands of the Haida people.[3] The program consists of 2-4 Watchmen who live and work as guardians, watching over each site in Gwaii Haanas.[4] Three human figure with traditional Haida hats represent the Haida Watchmen.[2]
The Haida people have been living in Haida Gwaii for at least 14000 years [5] and the Watchmen have been around for just as long. Historically, the job of a Watchman was to be positioned at important locations throughout the community to watch out for incoming enemies by land or sea.[2] They are represented typically by 3 heads atop of a totem pole to protect the land, sea, and sky.[6]
In 1973, a Haida named Captain Gold (Richard Wilson) paddled his canoe 250 km to SGang Gwaay where he went to honour his ancestors.[7] At this time, the site was often looted for artifacts and the lands disrespected by logging companies.[8] Upon realizing how important protecting these lands would be, he founded the first modern iteration of the Watchmen program, starting with a hand-built cabin which Gold constructed himself in 1980. The Skidegate Band Council officially created the program in 1981[4] and included Captain Gold and other members who volunteered their time camping at the various sites that needed protecting.[7] From 1981 to 1990, the program was run solely on a volunteer basis by the Skidegate Band Council and the Watchmen themselves were made up of council members and Elders.[8] In 1990, Parks Canada officially begun funding and co-managing the Watchmen.[4]
Started by Gold, Haida would be employed from Skidegate and Masset in order to be trained for shrub and tree removal.[8]
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