Haida Gwaii. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.
Visit responsibly
Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:
Maps and location
Getting there
Sɢ̲aay Taw Siiwaay K’adjuu Heritage Site/Conservancy is located on Moresby Island approximately 5 km from Mitchell Inlet on the western coast of Haida Gwaii and 35 km southwest of the community of Sandspit. It is part of an archipelago-wide system of protected areas that includes Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, several provincial parks and ecological reserves, and ten other heritage site/conservancies. In total, half of the land base of Haida Gwaii is now in protected status. The heritage site/conservancy includes all of Takakia Lake, and three other smaller unnamed lakes and their tributaries. The heritage site/conservancy covers 597 hectares from an elevation of about 500 metres up to 1,000 metres above sea level.
The Sɢ̲aay Taw Siiwaay K’adjuu Heritage Site/Conservancy area has been used since time immemorial by the people of the Haida Nation for cultural, social and spiritual purposes. The freshwater lakes and the surrounding limestone outcrops are one of the most important locations on Haida Gwaii for rare and endemic plants.
Things to do
Hunting is permitted in this park.
Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
About this conservancy
The people of the Haida Nation have occupied and collected materials from Sɢ̲aay Taw Siiwaay K’adjuu since time immemorial. Takakia Lake has longstanding cultural and spiritual importance to the Haida Nation as a sacred area and a location for the collection of medicinal plants.
The area has not been inventoried thoroughly which indicates that the heritage site/conservancy may contain many other unrecorded cultural heritage or archaeological sites.
The remote location of Sɢ̲aay Taw Siiwaay K’adjuu Heritage Site/Conservancy provides an excellent opportunity to maintain biological diversity and natural values. Of concern, though, is the potential introduction of non-native species which pose a threat to local ecosystems.
Many of the endemic plants found on Haida Gwaii occur at Takakia Lake. These include the blue listed Lance-fruited draba, enemion savilei, Calder’s lovage, alp lily, whorled lousewort, Queen Charlotte butterweed, Newcombe’s butterweed and Queen Charlotte twinflower. Also, the red listed Queen Charlotte aven, net-veined willow and cordate-leaved saxifrage.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.
Contact
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
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