Llgaay gwii sdiihlda, or restoring balance

Sitka black-tailed deer look harmless enough. But those in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site are invasive and they’ve left waves of cultural and ecological impacts in their wake. The deer were introduced from Alaska in the late 1800s. Excellent swimmers, they migrated to several islands in Gwaii Haanas archipelago. With no natural predators to keep them in check, the deer have browsed their way through intertidal and forest ecosystems, eating nearly all plants within their reach. The effects have been widespread: the Haida people have been deprived of many important plants for medicine, food and building materials, including t’suu (cedar) and ts’iihlinjaaw (devil’s club), while native wildlife – from birds to beetles – have had essential habitats eliminated.