Guided by Haida custodians and powered by ancestral knowledge, travellers are discovering a deeper, more respectful way to explore this remote Canadian archipelago.

Looking up at the weathered figures carved into a memorial pole in SG̱ang Gwaay Llnagaay – an ancient First Nations village on a remote island in Canada's Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve – a young woman from the Haida Gwaii Watchmen programme explained how she had recently identified one of her own family crests etched into the centuries-old totem pole. It was her second summer in this haunting place of teetering poles and collapsed homes. She'd turned down a job 700km south in Vancouver to return to Haida Gwaii, choosing instead to care for this small piece of her ancestral homeland.

She then led us along a shell-lined path into the moss-draped forest as the call of a raven echoed through the trees. At the remains of one of the village's longhouses, she pointed out a massive wooden beam and described how her ancestors once split planks like this from living trees using stone wedges – ingenious engineering rooted in a deep relationship with the land.

As we stood in the soft mist where rainforest meets sea, I let the atmosphere settle over me. I'd visited Haida Gwaii before, but this time felt different. This wild, wave-battered archipelago – stretching 250km and made up of more than 200 islands off the northern coast of British Columbia – has been home to the Haida since time immemorial. Today, about 5,000 Haida citizens live across Canada and the US, with roughly half residing on Haida Gwaii, primarily in the northern communities of G̱aw (Old Massett) and HlG̱aagilda (Skidegate).

Though colonisation once disrupted their rights and connection to these islands, the Haida – one of more than 200 distinct First Nations in British Columbia – have spent decades painstakingly reclaiming both. Now, that generations-long effort is culminating in two landmark agreements: Gaayhllxid / Gíihlagalgang ("Rising Tide"), signed with the province in April 2024; and Chiix̲uujin / Chaaw K̲aawgaa ("Big Tide, Low Water"), signed with the federal government in December. Together, they mark a formal transition to Haida-led governance that's rooted in ancestral laws, cultural values and a deep responsibility to care for the land and waters of Haida Gwaii.

For the Haida Nation, the agreements signal the reclamation of decision-making authority, stewardship and economic opportunity. For travellers, they represent a shift toward deeper, more meaningful engagement with the people and culture – whether that's sailing through the wilderness of Gwaii Haanas or visiting the culturally rich Haida communities in the north. Often called "the Galapagos of the North" for its biodiversity and remoteness, Haida Gwaii offers rare opportunities for eco-adventures, cultural immersion and Indigenous-led experiences rooted in traditional knowledge and a commitment to respectful, low-impact tourism.

Deep within this wilderness, SG̱ang Gwaay Llnagaay is among the most powerful places to connect with Haida history. Only Haida Watchmen live here today, guarding the carved mortuary and memorial poles and serving as stewards and storytellers. While this Unesco World Heritage site is just one of many protected cultural sites on Haida Gwaii, it's a place many visitors make a point to see: a place of learning and a reminder of what endures.

The best of 2025

Haida Gwaii was named one of BBC Travel's 25 best places to visit in 2025, a list highlighting destinations that are not only welcoming visitors, but using tourism as a force for good. See the full list here.

Gwaii Haanas park rules – including controlled visitor numbers, advance reservations and a mandatory orientation – meant I was one of just 12 visitors that morning. The quiet made the long-abandoned village feel intimate, almost........

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