Shaping the Future by Sharing Haida Gwaii with the World


The future of education is taking shape on Haida Gwaii. Home to the Haida since time immemorial, Haida Gwaii is a remote archipelago off the northwest coast of British Columbia, Canada, that boasts spectacular coastal temperate rainforest and abundant marine environments. By blending this rich heritage and dynamic environment with a culture of innovation, Haida Gwaii Institute (HGI) creates programming to cultivate the next generation of leaders in natural resource management, sustainable economies, and reconciliation.

Sḵ’aadG̱a G̱ud ad is, Learning Together speaks to our commitment to fostering a strong learning exchange between a diverse group of students, instructors, and community to share their experience and knowledge, in order to provide a board and balanced perspective on complex issues.

HGI is proud to be a part of the communities of Haida Gwaii, and grateful to island residents for hosting and supporting our initiatives. We are committed to playing an important role in contributing to building resilient communities locally, while also providing the tools to visiting students to do the same in their own home communities.

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We would like to acknowledge that we are located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Haida people. We extend our deep gratitude to the Haida Nation for their hospitality and support.

Hear what people have to say about HGI programs

  • Gidansda Guujaaw, former President of the Haida Nation
    “Haida people have had an intrinsic connection with this land for thousands of years. The work of our ancestors is present in the forest today and we continue our struggle to protect these sacred workplaces and the forests that contain them. The forests, lands and waters of Haida Gwaii have much to teach about a sustainable connection between human beings and the nature world. The Council of the Haida Nation supports […] educational programs that bring students from across Canada to experience the uniqueness of Haida Gwaii and Haida culture”
    Gidansda Guujaaw
    Former President of the Haida Nation
  • “The experiential learning component of the HGHES education programming bridges different types of learning and knowledge; it bridges conventional classroom instruction with field lectures, western science with traditional knowledge, and theoretical learning with hands-on experiences. It engages local youth, Haida elders, weavers, carvers; provincial, federal and Haida government officials; industry workers, academics, scientists and community members. This approach places participants in a living classroom; it provides context, gives real-life examples and hands-on experiences.”
    Laurel Currie
    Founding Executive Director of HGHES
  • Grace Broadfoot, Alumna
    "My semester in Haida Gwaii completely changed my life - in the best of ways. I found a community that shares the same passions and sense of adventure that I live for and was [ . . . ] able to learn from some of the most interesting and inspiring people both on island and off. The program helped me find an integrated field of study that I am passionate about, a career that I love, and a sense of community that I have felt nowhere else before.”
    Grace Broadfoot,
    Alumna