Haida Heritage Centre at Kaay 'Llnagaay
The Kaay 'llnagaay Heritage Centre located at Kaay 'llnagaay (Sea Lion Town), Skidegate, is an on-going multi- million dollar cultural project -- presently under construction. When completed, the Kaay 'llnagaay Heritage Centre will present an integrated complex of learning, working and performance facilities. It will be a place for nurturing Haida culture and sharing it with the rest of the world. A learning place to discover the cultural worlds within us, the natural and supernatural world around us and the connections between us all. A sacred place to honour our ancestors, the generations gone by. A teaching place to convey knowledge and skills, old and new, to the coming generations.
Mission Statement: Through the Kaay 'llnagaay Heritage Centre we celebrate the living culture of Haida people. Through our language, art and stories, we share our relationship with the land and sea- that which shapes, nourishes and sustains us. Kaay 'llnagaay protects and fosters Haida culture by reaffirming our traditions and beliefs, encouraging artistic expression, and serving as a keeper of all that we are.
Kaay 'llnagaay is a place for the Haida voice to be heard. This is our gift to the world.
Project Vision: We are a people of strength. We owe this legacy to our ancestors and to the beauty and richness of Haida Gwaii. We owe it to our children and our grandchildren to pass this legacy on….The Kaay 'llnagaay Heritage Centre is a way for us to preserve and celebrate our past, enabling us to share our history with our children and with visitors. Diane Brown, 1995
The Centre: The 46,000 square foot facility includes the following components:
• Greeting House, Slaay Daaw Naay
• Trading House (Gift Shop), Gina Daawhlgahl Naay
• Eating House (Café), Ga Taa Naay
• Performance House, Gina Guuahl Juunaay
• Saving Things House (the Haida Gwaii Museum), Sah.hlindaaw Naay
• Solitary Raven House, Yahl Sqwansiing Naay
• Canoe House, Skaajang Naay
• Working On Many Things House (Program Management), Gina Gud Aahljuu Naay
The Centre will also provide office space to the following organizations:
• Kaay 'llnagaay Heritage Centre Society
• Gwaalagaa Naay Corporation
• Haida Gwaii Watchmen Program
• Archipelago Management Board & Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
Kaay 'llnagaay Heritage Centre Society
The Kaay 'llnagaay Heritage Centre Society will administer the Kaay 'llnagaay Heritage Centre. The Board of Directors is made up of community and stakeholder representatives, inclusive of Band Council representatives.