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Earlier this summer, I traveled to Haida Gwaii, the remote archipelago off the northwest coast of British Columbia. It’s a place of towering cedars, sacred poles, and stories that have been lived and shared for more than 14,000 years. I came seeking rest and reconnection—but what I found was a masterclass in sustainable, heart-centered leadership.
On our first day, we stood beneath a real eagle’s nest—mom and dad eagle feeding their young—alongside Chief Sydney of the Eagle Clan, who welcomed us with warmth and wisdom. He shared how the land, sky, and sea are intertwined with identity, responsibility, and resilience.
Days later, we ran into him again—this time at the Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay in Skidegate, where he guided us through the canoes carved by Haida masters. He spoke not of titles or roles, but of stewardship. Of leading by listening. Of culture as compass.
We stayed at Haida House, where the land is breathtaking—but it’s the people who leave the deepest imprint. Every meal we enjoyed was prepared and served by young Indigenous staff, all deeply connected to the land. They were born in Haida Gwaii or had returned with pride in their ancestry and a passion for preserving it.
This is where we met Breanna, who runs the golf course restaurant with quiet strength, and Jenn, whose love for Haida Gwaii radiates in everything she does. At every turn, we were greeted not just with service—but with story, care, and connection.
One evening, we shared dinner with Tawni Jones, the wife of the late Ben Davidson, son of legendary carver Robert Davidson. Tawni spoke about the role of art in resurgence—how the family’s work helped reclaim culture after generations of suppression. Through carving, ceremony, and community, they’re raising more than poles—they’re raising identity, language, and healing.
As we drove toward Port Clements, we listened to The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant—a haunting true story of a sacred golden-needled Sitka spruce, felled in protest by a logger who had lost faith in the forestry system. The book left us reckoning with what happens when short-term thinking destroys long-term wisdom.
In Port Clements, we met a local guide who showed us the remains of the Golden Spruce, now laid near a church where a new sapling grows. Interestingly, it grows outward, not upward. Perhaps nature is teaching us that regrowth doesn’t always follow the same direction as before.
We also learned the story of the white raven, a rare albino creature believed to carry messages of transformation. The Haida understand what many leaders forget: symbols matter, and transformation requires reverence.
In Old Massett, we visited the famed totem poles, including one raised in the 1960s as a declaration of cultural survival. There, I met Lisa White, a proud artist whose shop carried the work of her brother, the renowned Christian White. I bought two pieces—small, beautiful symbols of resilience and heritage.
We also met Dustin W. Cross, a beadwork artist who invited us to dine at his aunt’s home, Roberta Olson. That night, we enjoyed a Haida meal of salmon, kelp, chowder, fruit pie, and tea—each bite a living link to tradition, community, and love.
Back in Vancouver, we visited the Bill Reid Gallery, where Christian White’s carvings and family ceremonies were on full display. The videos of pole-raisings and potlatches were more than art—they were acts of leadership. Of bringing people together. Of reminding us who we are and where we belong.
There is something profound unfolding in Haida Gwaii—not a return to the past, but a re-rooting in wisdom that has always been there. And thanks to the people we met—their families, stories, and generosity—they are teaching us all what heart-centered leadership truly looks like.
They are showing us how to move forward.
How to face the atrocities of the past without being defined by them.
How to rise again—with love for culture, for language, for the planet, and for one another.
Leadership in Haida Gwaii is not performative.
It’s embodied.
It’s shared.
It’s sacred.
I want to thank everyone who shared their hearts, homes, and stories with us—from Chief Sydney to Breanna and Jenn, from the team at Haida House to Tawni, Lisa, Dustin, and Roberta. You showed us the way.
If you lead a team, a company, a community—ask yourself:
The Haida have cared for this land for millennia, hunting, harvesting, and healing in balance with nature. In just a few short centuries, colonization brought disease, genocide, and destruction. Yet the people remain—and they are rising.
Let’s follow their lead.
Let’s lead with heart.
#LeadershipDevelopment #SustainableLeadership #IndigenousWisdom #HeartCenteredLeadership #CulturalIntelligence #HaidaGwaii #KirkeLeadership #Reconciliation #WomenInLeadership #PositiveIntelligence
