Aboard the SV Island SolitudeHAIDA GWAII

Duration: 10 daysTour Stars: VancouverTour Ends: SandspitCost: $7,695 cad + 5% taxCredit Card Price: $8,102 cad + 5% taxSingle to Share: guest agrees to share roomSingle Supplement Option: guest agrees to pay for double occupancy ($7,695 or $8,102 cad x2 + 5% tax )Max: 12 guests + up to 2 guidesAge limitations: The program is limited to the age of 16 and overFitness Level: Moderate

Guide: Dorothy GrantDorothy was born in Hydaburg, Alaska. She is a Kaigani Haida of the raven clan from the Brown Bear House of Howkan and has spent over thirty years honing a recognizable art style in the tradition of head wear and blanket weaving, as well as clothing design, art, and fashion. Dorothy is one of the country’s foremost First Nations designers, and delights in using her art to share her culture. She is a member of the Order of Canada, the Order of British Columbia, and holds and honourary degree from the University of Northern British Columbia.

JULY 8–17, 2018 Aboard the SV Island Solitude

HAIDA GWAII

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Our guide Dorothy Grant will lead this incredible expedition to Haida Gwaii, focusing on Canada’s Haida Nation, one of North America’s most

culturally rich and developed groups of indigenous people. Signs of the ancient and living culture remain throughout the islands—longhouses and intricately designed totem poles tell a story of rich human history. We are privileged to be able to visit these ancient sites with Haida interpreters, shar-ing stories, history, and archaeological marvels of Canada’s heritage.

We’ll travel creeks threading through old-growth forests and navigate the rugged headlands and waterways between the many communities of the islands. We’ll take in views of incredible landscapes and search for the elu-sive wildlife—puffins, auklets, and eagles as well as stellar sea lions, and a variety of whales. Indeed, the plethora of species that call Haida Gwaii home have led to the affectionate nickname “Galapagos of the North”.

• Explore the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and the National Marine Conservation area

• Enjoy a traditional Haida meal hosted at the home of a Haida elder

• Visit Haida Gwaii Museum and the ḴKay Llnagaay Heritage Centre

• Explore villages in old-growth forests and destinations inaccessible by land

• Tour SGang Gwaay Llnagaay, unesco World Heritage Site

• Embrace quiet moorings and free time to sketch, photograph, and explore

• Seek out multitudes of seabirds and marine mammals in their coastal habitats

• Get down to water levels in sea kayaks for intimate exploration of the natural habitat

• Overnight at the Skwachàys Lodge in Vancouver an innovative art gallery and cooperative hotel

HIGHLIGHTS

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• All meals from lunch day 1 to breakfast day 10

• One hotel night in Vancouver at Skwachàys Lodge

• One hotel night at Sandspit Adventures Lodge

• All museum and park fees

• Passage aboard the SV Island Solitude

• All ground transportation

• Flights from home to Vancouver and Vancouver to Sandspit return

• Mandatory emergency medical and evacuation insurance

• Discretionary trip cancellation and interruption insurance

• Personal items

• Any expenses incurred due to changes beyond our control

• Discretionary gratuities

WHAT’S INCLUDED WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

ABOUT YOUR HAIDA GWAII ADVENTURESKWACHÀYS LODGE — VANCOUVERA unique Aboriginal art experience, this stunning boutique hotel in the heart of Vancouver is the result of a partnership between six of the city’s best hotel designers and six Aborig-inal artists. Together, they produced eighteen installation pieces—one for each room. The hotel also features a traditional sweat lodge and smudge room, as well as all the comforts of high-scale lodging.

CANADA’S TRUE CULTURAL TREASURESThe richness of the landscape and the sophistication of Haida society allowed for the development of a strong artistic outpouring in visual arts and ceremonial life. We will en-counter both on our journey, for Haida culture remains alive and vital. Guests will have the opportunity to learn about the customs and traditions of this great people—a people whose bond to the natural world is enduring and reciprocal. This bond is reflected in their unique art and reverent way of life.

This reverence means that the cultur-al landmarks are slowly returning to the land from whence they came—an-cient totems and dwellings are slowly slipping back to the earth and before long will disappear entirely. See these living, ever-changing markers of a cultural epoch before they are gone forever.

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Join us aboard the SV Island Solitude and take a step through the living history of one of Canada’s true cultural treasures. Bring your camera, journal, and sketchpad—for Haida Gwaii is one of the world’s most inspiring places.

MARINE WILDLIFE

Because the islands lie on the edge of the continen-tal shelf, a particularly robust plankton base bolsters the food chain. This plankton forms a rich feeding area for all manner of wildlife—particularly whales. Historically, blue, sperm, minke, fin, humpback, and orca whales have all called Haida Gwaii home. Though whaling in the early twentieth century devastated their populations, humpback and fin whales are now on the rebound and are regularly spotted. Harbour seals and Stellar sea lions congregate in large communities on shore and ply the waters for fish.

LAND ANIMALS

The Haida Gwaii black bear is the largest in the world. In isolation from their mainland brethren these bears developed a larger lower jaw to aid in shoreline forag-ing. Both black-tailed deer and raccoons have flour-ished on the island—problematically. Both species were introduced to the region, and without natural predators their ecological impact is becoming more pronounced each year. Bird colonies are at risk from the racoons and the local cedar forests—foundation of Haida culture—are suffering from the over-browsing of the deer.

HAIDA CULTURE

The Haida name for the southern islands is Gwaii Haanas, which aptly translates to “islands of beauty” or “place of wonder”. As a nation, the Haida were divided into two social groups, or moieties, called Raven and Eagle. Their mythology, like that of many other coastal tribes, was based on the epic cycle of Raven and his exploits. A trickster to the core, Raven will set the uni-

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verse in order at one moment only to throw it into chaos at the next. A greedy, mischievous lecher, Raven nevertheless unintentionally teaches mankind how to live well. He disguised himself to enter the home of the Sky Chief, from whom he stole the sun, moon, and stars to give to humankind.

Most Haida objects are decorated with crests—the figures of animals, birds, sea creatures, and mythic beings. These crests are used to identify the moiety and often the lineage of their owners. The precise arrangement and interaction of various crests and recurring motifs act as a personal signifier, and much can be gleaned from an individual’s totem. The true “text” of a single totem pole is impossible to read without a thorough knowledge of the mythology involved.

Although the Haida have almost seventy crest figures, less than twenty are in general use. The orca whale in particular endures as a symbol of power, intelligence, cunning, and skill.

Permanent Haida villages consisted of one (or more) rows of houses along a beach. Gen-erally, the house belonging to the town chief was larger and located near the centre of the settlement. According to myth, the house was one of the main contributions that Raven made to Haida life (after stealing the idea from Beaver). These houses formed the centre of Haida social, political, and economic life. They were build out of western red cedar with a framework of corner posts and massive structural beams.

Like their houses, the Haida’s canoes were hewn from red cedar—they were exquisite craft and widely praised by the chiefs of other nations along the coast. Like their totems, houses, and tools, these craft were intricately adorned with crests, symbols, and motifs to identify their owners and their stories.

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DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1 | VancouverThe group will meet at 09h00 in the lobbey of Skwachàys Lodge to begin the day pro-gram with your guide, Heather Beecroft. In the evening, we will gather at Skwachàys Lodge for a welcome dinner as well as an opportunity to meet an artist in residence.

Day 2 | SandspitWe fly to Sandspit today to begin the expe-dition. Upon arrival, a shuttle service will be provided from the airport to the Sandspit Ad-ventures Lodge, where we will spend the night. Crab dinner this evening arranged. Our guide will point out highlights of the area and you will have the evening to relax and get to know your fellow travellers. Sandspit is home to a wide array of activities, including beach-combing, sport fishing, crabbing, birdwatching, rock-hounding, wilderness camping, boating, photography, sightseeing, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and golfing—but we suggest having a quiet dinner and resting up for the adventures ahead!

Day 3 | Trip StartBegin your day with an a la carte breakfast at The Inn’s dining room. Please allow plenty of time to enjoy your breakfast, as the restaurant cooks all meals to order.

The group will meet in front of The Sandspit Harbour Inn at 8:30 am. Please be sure to check out of your hotel room with luggage in hand, prior to this time. You will be greeted by our shuttle bus driver/guide for your Haida Gwaii land tour. You will be transported to the ferry landing at Alliford Bay to take the ferry across to Skidegate Landing on Graham Island. The ferry crossing takes approximately twenty minutes. Our first stop will be the renowned Haida Heritage Centre or Kay Llnagaay on Graham Island for a guided tour followed by a traditional Haida lunch at Keenawaii's Kitchen, hosted by a local Haida family from Skidegate. Following lunch, we will have time for a short walk at Spirit Lake before catching the ferry back to Moresby Island. The shut-

This is our proposed route. It is highly probable that weather and sea conditions will not allow us to travel this exact route. Our Expedition Leader and the SV Island Solitude’s captain will determine our exact route day by day.

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tle will transport the group along the only road to where the vessel will be waiting. It is an active logging road and it can sometimes be a bumpy ride – be sure to keep your eyes out for black bears and sitka deer at the side of the road.

In about an hour’s time, we arrive at Moresby Camp to board the vessel. Upon board-ing the ship you will meet the crew, cabins will be assigned, and everyone will partic-ipate in an introductory & safety orientation with dinner to follow. We will spend our first evening anchored nearby and will depart early the next morning into the waters of Southern Moresby Island to explore the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve.

Days 4–9We will spend our time exploring the eastern and southern shores of Moresby Island. Daily activities include wildlife watching, shore excursions to explore ancient Haida villages, “old growth” forests, beautiful creeks, and colorful intertidal zones. Be sure to keep an eye out and your cameras ready, as we will encounter a wealth of marine wildlife on our journey. We aim to spot humpback whales, porpoise, fin whales, sea lions and orca. We hope to capture the sight of the mighty, Gwaii Haanas black bear foraging along the shoreline for the myriad of intertidal creatures found in these nutrient-rich areas. Windy Bay is the site of the first pole raised in 130 years honouring the 20th anniver-sary of the Gwaii Haanas Agreement to protect the natural and marine resources. We visit the old Haida village of SGang Gwaay (Ninstints), a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site to take in the fabulous totem poles.

Each evening we will anchor in a different secluded bay with time to discuss the day’s wildlife sightings and opportunity to explore the shoreline by kayak.

Day 10 | Trip FinishThe trip will finish mid morning and you will disembark at 11:00am at Moresby Camp. There will be char-ter bus waiting to shuttle the group to Sandspit airport. The trip by bus takes about an hour. You can expect to arrive in Sandspit by midday. This will give you time to have lunch and do any last minute shopping at the souvenir shop located in the Sand-spit Airport, prior to your afternoon flight to Vancouver.

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ABOUT THE SV ISLAND SOLITUDEThe SV Island Solitude is 82’ long and carries twelve guests in six cabins with two low-er beds and ensuite bathrooms. The wheelhouse, on deck, accommodates the entire group at meals at two tables with incredible views.

The engines exceed EPA emission standards, and sewage is be treated organically with a combination of electricity and salt. Built locally, with state-of-the-art technolo-gy—and specifically for this region—this new yacht is the most breathtaking, elegant, and efficient tour vessel on the coast.

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