The first Watchman site we visited is K’uuna Llnagaay (aka Skedans). First settlers could not pronounce  the name of the Chief of K’uuna and ended up calling the village Skedans which sounds somewhat similar to the Chief’s name.  Smallpox wiped out the Haida from over 10,000 to about 600 people.  The remaining Haida moved to a few smaller sites to survive.

Most of the sites have been vandalized and decayed over the years but there are still some remaining poles either leaning or laying on the ground covered in moss. There are large depressions that show how big the longhouses really were.  The Watchman had blown up pictures that had been taken around the early 1900’s that show how the abandoned village looked at that time.  It is so interesting, sometimes sad and sometimes encouraging, to hear of their culture and history and how they are now embracing the culture in new and/or traditional ways.

The next stop was at T’aanuu Llngaay (aka Tanu). Little is left standing there but the spirit of the site is still strong. The house depressions and fallen house posts still provide an idea of what the village was like.  Each Watchman added new information that helped us to understand how amazing the Haida culture was and is.  Each site also had a different personality and feel based on the growth of the forests and trees.  As I said before, I could stay at each site for a couple of weeks listening to the Watchmen and never get tired of it.