This is the last week for me in Haida Gwaii.  Time has flown by surprisingly.  Not only are we nearly finished our field experience, we are almost finished our education degree!  I remember starting in September knowing there was a long and arduous road ahead of me.  Now I only have to do 2.5 months of courses before I graduate!

I had always wanted to come to Haida Gwaii as a teenager because I desired to see the whales.  Although I probably won’t get the chance to see any whales here, I am still pleased with all that I got to see and experience on this island.  I was quite ignorant about where I was coming and unaware of the situation that I was stepping into.  I understand know what it feels like to be the “tourist” and the “foreigner” in a place.  For one thing, I stand out appearance-wise because I am Asian.  There are not many Asians here; I think I’ve seen a total of about 4 which to me is quite impressive.  I’ve been told by others that people have seen me around the island and they know who I am and what I do.  I find that incredibly strange and uncomfortable.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise though because the population of the town (Charlotte) where I am staying is very small compared to Vancouver.  It is not uncommon for passerby’s to wave “hi” or to say “hello”.  I admit that I am not the best at making eye contact and waving “hi” so that alone is a very good indicator of my “foreignness”.  One of the most obvious moments of feeling like an outsider was during the Youth Assembly last week.  As an observer, I had to sign in and watch the assembly from way up high at the work-out room.  Not only were the seats extremely uncomfortable, they were low and for a short person like me, there was no possibility of me peering over the railings to see the event.  Even the taller observers had difficulty watching.  Several of the student teachers with me shared the sentiment of feeling segregated.  We are here to observe and partake in the event but we were clearly separated from the rest of the groups to prevent any sort of interaction between us and them.

Haida Gwaii is certainly a place full of history that is laced with the legacy of colonialism.  If I wanted to live here and be a part of this community, I would need to involve myself in the community, buy a house, and hopefully be adopted into a clan.  The acceptance and integration into Haida Gwaii is lengthy and difficult but not impossible.

This week, I am spending most of the time in the high school teaching ad observing.  I will also take some time to visit the daycare before I go.  I am pleased with all of the places I got to go and the schools I got to visit.  I went on several hikes and have become very good at walking.  When I come to the enormous hill up to my homestay, I do not feel as intimidated as much as I did when I first arrived.  I can now hike the hill without dying and walk for over an hour just back and forth from places.  This is the way it is like living in a rural area.  Without the luxury of a car or public transportation, I have no choice but to hitchhike or walk.  Hitchhiking here is quite common and safe but I have only ever done it a couple of times with a partner.

My perceptions of the First Nations people, in particular the Haida, have changed.  I didn’t know much about the Haida or who lives on Haida Gwaii.  I’ve learned that there is more diversity here than I thought.  There population is mostly Haida but there are many who are also mixed with other European ethnicities.  The Haida are very proud of their artwork: carving argillite, wood, and jewellery.  I loved the jewellery so much that I bought myself a custom made Haida ring from a local carver.  The work is impeccable and gorgeous.  I am very happy with it.  My time here allowed me to learn about the importance of their potlatches, art, and preservation of their language.  My knowledge is still very limited but my time here has peaked my interest in learning about the Haida nation more than ever.

Although some days were grey, wet, and boring, I do not regret my decision to come here.  It was an experience of a lifetime.  I have added the experience of working in a rural environment and with Aboriginal youth to my repertoire.  This is something that I would not be able to do in the big city of Vancouver.  I met great people and had the opportunity to spend time with the other student teachers from UBC (who I never met).  Overall, this has been a very positive and life changing experience and would recommend Haida Gwaii to anyone!

For more photos, visit the CFE Gallery page! 🙂