SGang Gwaay (Ninstints)

• Official name: Nan Sdins National Historic Site of Canada
• Location: Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada

• Year of inscription: 1981

SG̱ang Gwaay, also called SG̱ang Gwaay llnagaay, is a series of ruins found on St. Anthony’s Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is the remains of a historic village of the Haida people and is still a site of cultural and religious importance for the Haida nation. The village was originally inhabited by the Haida people. However, repeated disease outbreaks and SG̱ang Gwaay’s isolated location continuously encouraged residents to move to more populated towns with better access to European traders. By the end of the nineteenth century, SG̱ang Gwaay was completely abandoned.

The site is governed as part of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, as well as the Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. It contains the ruins of ten domestic buildings, providing important insights into both the cultural practices and construction practices of the ancient Haida peoples. It is also known for providing exemplary examples of Indigenous mortuary poles, which document important people and family histories in an intricate artistic manner.

No permanent human settlements have existed near SG̱ang Gwaay since the late nineteenth century. Because of its isolation, the ruins and cultural artifacts found within SG̱ang Gwaay are particularly well-preserved. Tourists are allowed to travel to SG̱ang Gwaay but must be respectful of the ruins and the property’s cultural significance. In order to ensure that tourists behave in an appropriate manner, the Haida nation stations watchers and guides near the village through the Haida Watchmen Program.

Though SG̱ang Gwaay is well-preserved, the Government of Canada works with the Haida nation to identify and prevent future dangers to the site. The wildlife of the region is actively managed, with problematic species culled as necessary. Additionally, the government works to prevent marine pollution, climate change, and the introduction of any invasive species that might damage the ruins.

History

SG̱ang Gwaay was a small village located on Anthony Island, an island off the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands. The island is the historic home of the Haida people, who lived on Anthony Island and its nearby islands for roughly ten thousand years. The islands of Haida Gwaii were first encountered by Europeans in 1774, specifically by Spanish explorer Juan Perez. The island remained isolated, visited only occasionally by fur traders in search of sea otter fur.

The Haida people built a strong economy based on fishing and hunting. This made them attractive partners for traveling European traders. The Haida people, along with many other Northwest Coast Indigenous people, benefitted greatly from the annual salmon run, allowing them to focus on artistic pursuits. They were renowned for their architecture, totem poles, and intricate paintings.

SG̱ang Gwaay, also commonly called Ninstints, is now a prominent set of village ruins. In earlier eras, the village was known as Quee-ah. Ninstints grew into a large regional community featuring dozens of villages. However, during the nineteenth century, the population of Ninstints dwindled. Exposure to European settlers brought many diseases to which the Indigenous people of SG̱ang Gwaay had no resistance, including measles, smallpox, and typhoid. The population fell to roughly six hundred, shaking confidence in the remaining setters.

Following the population decline from repeated epidemics, many members of the Haida community moved to larger nearby settlements. These towns and cities, including Victoria and Masset, featured greater economic opportunity and more regular access to European traders. The population of Ninstints continued to be ravaged by diseases, including the 1862 smallpox epidemic. All of the remaining settlers abandoned the village by 1878. Many of the village structures, including examples of historic architecture and the artistic creations of the Haida people, were preserved. Though the region was no longer actively inhabited, it was continuously visited by representatives of the Haida nation. In 1981, SG̱ang Gwaay was named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

Significance

SG̱ang Gwaay is considered an important cultural and historical site due to the artifacts remaining from Haida inhabitants. Though it is uninhabited, the village of Ninstints remains on SG̱ang Gwaay. This village provides significant insights into the cultural practices and developments of the Haida people of previous eras. Ninstints is located in a secluded area of the island, protecting it from many natural dangers and damage from other humans. This remote location has allowed large portions of Ninstints to remain intact, making it the earliest surviving village in the southern archipelago.

In order to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a location must demonstrate at least one of a specific set of criteria. SG̱ang Gwaay satisfied Criterion III, which states that a site must bear testimony to a living or disappeared cultural tradition. Though the Haida people still exist, SG̱ang Gwaay provides a unique and irreplaceable look into their distant past and a different era of cultural practices.

Over time, many of the structures in the once-expansive Ninstints village had been allowed to decay. However, numerous buildings and artistic works have survived to the modern era. Ten sets of home ruins remain, providing cultural insight into the lives of the villagers. These homes also provide a historical record of the construction techniques used by Indigenous peoples of the region.

In addition to home ruins, thirty-two memorial poles are located within the village. These poles are decorated with important religious symbols and detail the histories of the families that constructed them. Some poles contain the bones of family ancestors. During the 1930s and 1950s, fifteen poles were moved to museums in order to ensure their preservation for future generations. These poles have been recognized by experts in Indigenous history to be some of the best surviving examples of memorial poles in the world.

Because Ninstints was not abandoned in an organized manner, and because the site was settled for millennia, the ruins help teach researchers about the daily lives of Indigenous peoples from many historical eras. They show the rise and fall of a prosperous Indigenous society, the means by which such a society sustained itself economically, and the artistic materials with which they expressed themselves. The ruins contained the remains of ocean-going canoes made from Giant Western red cedar trees, as well as the decorations used to adorn the now-ruined homes.

Like many historic sites, SG̱ang Gwaay is the continued subject of conservation efforts. No permanent settlement has occurred on the property since the early nineteenth century, protecting the ruins from damage from humans. The site is part of the larger Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. It is also considered part of the Gwaii Hans National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. These statuses provide the site with substantial protections, serving as buffer zones against intrusion.

In 1981, SG̱ang Gwaay was named a National Historic Site by the Government of Canada. It is protected under both the Canada National Parks Act and the constitution of the Haida Nation. For these reasons, the property is jointly managed by the Government of Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation. The Archipelago Management Board consists of representatives of the Government of Canada and the Haida nation. It makes decisions for operational planning and the care of the park. Traditionally, the board consults with the Haida Hereditary Leaders on park operations, acknowledging that the Haida people have moral authority over SG̱ang Gwaay.

The Haida Watchmen Program stations Haida people near the site to ensure that all guests are respectful of the site. The Haida Watchmen Program also provides guides, helping new people benefit from the educational opportunities created by the continued preservation of SG̱ang Gwaay, and ensures that some Haida people are located on their ancestral land. The property continues to be a location of cultural and spiritual significance for the Haida people.

Experts have identified several threats to the continued survival of SG̱ang Gwaay. They argue that the continued lack of human development near the historic site is essential to the survival of the ruins. They also note that global climate change may have a negative impact on the survival of the ruins, as well as marine pollution, the impacts of tourism, severe weather, and invasive species. Some cultural artifacts, such as the five mortuary poles, were stabilized to prolong their lifespans. Additionally, local wildlife that might cause damage to the property are periodically culled.

Bibliography

“The Criteria for Selection.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, whc.unesco.org/en/criteria. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.

“History.” Village of Masset, massetbc.com/about-us/history. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.

MacDonald, George F. Ninstints: Haida World Heritage Site. UBC Press, 2001.

“Magical SGang Gwaay.” Haida Tourism, 5 Feb. 2024, www.haidatourism.ca/news/haidagwaii-tour-sganggwaay. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.

Reza, Ali. “Sgang Gwaay – The Red Cod Island.” Make Heritage Fun!, 3 July 2014, www.makeheritagefun.com/sang-gwaay-red-cod-island. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.

“SG̱ang Gwaay.” UNESCO World Heritage Centre, whc.unesco.org/en/list/157. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.

“SG̱ang Gwaay.” Government of Canada, 19 Sept. 2023, www.pc.gc.ca/en/culture/spm-whs/sites-canada/sec02f. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.