The first week has been a very eventful few days.  I arrived first on the weekend and then had the opportunity to explore Yakoun Lake.  Going through the logging trails and hiking for several minutes was my first introduction to Haida Gwaii.  The second most noticeable thing about Haida Gwaii was the rain.  It rained A LOT the first days of the week.

The first day of my CFE, I had to walk to QCSS (Queen Charlotte Secondary).  I walked with a couple of the other teachers and it took longer than I thought.  The weather was somewhat warm and I was over dressed.  It took about 30 minutes and we were curious as to where to walk.  The first day was mostly filled with introductions.  We met most of the teachers and the administrative staff who were all very pleasant and inviting.  Keith and I met our sponsor teacher, Katie who showed us her schedule and the art classes she was teaching.  Her classroom was very spacious and it included various materials.  As Keith would say, they were “kitted” out.  The art room had a printing press, kiln, loom, and a variety of art materials including glass and soldering irons.

Katie was very laid back as to what we wanted to do for our CFE experience in her class.  Since there were two of us, she said that we could discuss what we want to do.  The most important thing about our CFE was to come out of it feeling like we have learned something and gained an appreciation for what Haida Gwaii was all about.  This fact was greatly emphasized by the principal, Kevin May as well as the other teachers in the school.  We not only will be teaching some lessons to the students, but will also partake in a variety of out of school activities planned for us by the district.  I also made sure to observe other classes while I could.   I knew that the majority of the population is Haida but I was surprised to see how many Haida students did not look what I had erroneously believed to be “Haida”.  Many were fair skinned and some had light hair.  There was also a good number of non-Haida students who I would classify as having a European background.  Most of the teachers if not all, are not of Haida descent but have lived here for a number of years.

This week, I was lucky enough to participate in a variety of activities inside and outside of the school.  I had the opportunity to go clam digging and tour Masset.  Clam digging was great fun despite the wet weather.  The students were very proficient in digging and taught me how to do it.  Although my socks got soaked, I am very pleased with the experience.  On the last day of the week, three of us were given the chance to tour Masset up in the north of Haida Gwaii.  The superintendent, Angus Wilson, spent the day driving us up to tour the city.  We first went to Old Masset where the houses seemed to be in poorer condition compared to those in Charlotte and Skidegate.  The winds were extremely strong as well and the rain clouds were blowing in.  We then went to Masset to visit GMD (George M Dawson) high school.  This high school, I’ve been told, is quite different from QCSS.  This school is quite large and the number of students were on the decline.  Due to the declining enrolment, utilizing the school to its full capacity was impossible.  In this case, the supply was outnumbering the demand.  We also visited Tahaygen Elementary school in Masset.  This was a nice school with a small number of students.  Other places that Angus took us to was to Port Clements and their multiplex.  This multiplex is divided into an elementary school as well as a community centre and a library.  Due to the small number of people, a single building to house the facilities and needs of many makes sense.  One of the highlights for me was going to Toe Hill beach and White Creek to collect moonsnail shells!

Next week, we have some fun activities lined up for us.  We will be going kayaking and attending a session with the S.H.I.P. program (Skidegate Haida Immersion Program) where elders come to educate students about the Haida language.  I am very excited for these two activities!

This week took some adjustment for me.  Usually it takes me at least a week to settle and feel comfortable.  I needed to get used to the rain, living arrangements, and grocery shopping.  In addition to that, the hill that I have to walk up every day to get home is absolutely killer!  That is a really good workout!  The skies are very grey and for someone like me who requires brightness to feel happy, it was certainly a big obstacle I had to overcome.  I can safely say that after a week, I do feel more comfortable and settled with my routine here at Haida Gwaii.  It helps immensely that I am rooming with Keith.  Initially we did not have access to the telephone or the Internet.  Having a companion to ease the transition was certainly helpful.  The school itself has been extremely welcoming.  All of the teachers learn know our names within a day and will gladly greet you and help you along, especially with transportation needs.  I am lucky to be working in such a warm and friendly school.  The upcoming weeks will allow me to dictate what kind of lessons I can teach to the QCSS students as well as the ones in the elementary school in Skidegate when we go visit.