AUGUST 15, 2013

LEGACY POLE ERECTED IN GWAII HAANAS NATIONAL PARK

Over 400 people participated in raising the Gwaii Haanas Legacy Pole in Hlk’yah G̱awG̱a (Windy Bay) on Lyell Island in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, while another 400 watched the pole raising at the Haida Heritage Centre.  The Legacy Pole is a 42-foot monumental pole honoring the 20th anniversary of the Gwaii Haanas Agreement, a cooperative management relationship between the Haida Nation and the Government of Canada to protect Gwaii Haanas.  This pole is the first raised in the region in over 130 years and tells the story of the historic agreement.  Jaalen Edenshaw was chosen as the carver, assisted by Tyler York and his brother Gwaai.  In 2010, Jaalen and his brother Gwaai carved the 43-foot ‘Two Brothers’ pole raised in Jasper National Park, Alberta.  Gwaai York learned to carve from his father and Bill Reid, amongst others.  The pole’s “Land, Sea, People” theme was inspired by connections between the Haida Nation and those who take care of Gwaii Haanas from mountain-top to seafloor.      

Source: “Legacy Pole: Celebrating 20 years of cooperative management,” Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site.  Retrieved 7/10/2019, https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/gwaiihaanas/culture/mat-heraldique-legacy-pole
Photo: Parks Canada, after 2013.  Source: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/gwaiihaanas/culture/mat-heraldique-legacy-pole. Permissive non-commercial use pursuant to: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/termes-terms.