Participating Leaders

Guujaaw, Haida

Guujaaw was born and raised on Haida Gwaii, two islands in the North Pacific off the west coast of B.C. Guujaaw is a traditional trapper, hunter, fisherman, carver, carpenter, singer, teacher, and medicine maker. Currently President of Haida Nation, Guujaaw has worked tirelessly for the protection of Haida land, the establishment of the rights of the Haida people and their economic stability and freedom. Among his numerous contributions, Guuujaaw was lead negotiator of the Gwaii Haanas Agreement establishing the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. He helped form the Coastal First Nations (Turning Point Initiative), and helped start the Rediscovery Program, connecting youth with themselves and the land. Guujaaw contributed to the creation of the Gwaii Trust, a locally, consensually controlled fund for building a sustainable society on Haida Gwaii. His efforts earned him recognition as the recipient of the 2006 Buffett Award. Guujaaw currently resides in Skidgate, Haida Gwaii, where he continues in the fight to protect the rights of his people and their ancestral land.

Read the transcript of Guujaaw's interview on sustainability: Guujaaw_interview.pdf