Canada: HaidaGwaii - Queen Charlotte Islands

Decaying Totem Poles at Skidans are visual reminders of the original natives who inhabited the villages in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) off Canada's west coast. The Haida have inhabited the islands for over 10,000 years and were nearly wiped out in the 19th century by European diseases when traders arrived in the area and infected them with smallpox. Memorial poles are testimony to the culture that once thrived in these islands. For more information visit www.ontopoftheworld.net and check out episode #43 in the Railway Adventures across Canada category.