The community of Daajing Giids, historically known as Queen Charlotte, is situated on the northern shore of Skidegate Inlet on Graham Island in the Haida Gwaii archipelago, about 104 miles (167 km) southwest of Prince Rupert and 52 miles (84 km) south of Masset, British Columbia. Haida Gwaii consists of Graham Island in the north, Moresby Island in the south and over 100 smaller islands. Collectively known as the Queen Charlotte Islands from 1787 until 2010, the archipelago was named in 1787 by Captain George Dixon after his ship, the Queen Charlotte, which honored Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III. Graham Island, the largest in the archipelago, is separated from Moresby Island by Skidegate Channel. The island was named in 1853 by James C. Prevost, commander of HMS Virago, for Sir James Graham, 2nd Baronet, then First Lord of the Admiralty. Skidegate Channel, about 21 miles (33 km) long, forms the western extension of Skidegate Inlet, separating Graham Island from Moresby Island and connecting Hecate Strait to the Pacific Ocean. The archipelago represents the western edge of the Wrangellia terrane, transported by plate tectonics across the proto-Pacific. It collided and amalgamated with the Alexander terrane, then with the Peninsular terrane, forming a composite terrane that accreted to the North American continental margin during the Jurassic period, about 201 million to 143 million years ago. This composite underlies the southern portion of Graham Island and is bounded west by the Queen Charlotte Fault and east by the Sandspit Fault. The amalgamated terrane consists mostly of limestone, basalt and granitic plutons.

Haida Gwaii forms the heartland of the Haida people. The earliest archaeological evidence indicates human occupation dating to about 7,000 years ago, though other evidence from the north Pacific coast suggests initial settlement closer to 10,000 years ago. These early hunter-gatherers relied on chipped-stone technology, including microblades from specially prepared basalt cores, which provided cutting edges for hunting weapons. Over time, this culture evolved into the historical Haida people, who divided themselves into two moieties: the Ravens and the Eagles. An ethnographic hypothesis based on linguistics, mythology and legendary stories suggests the Ravens may have constituted the original population, while the Eagles were immigrants with origins among the Tsimshian on the mainland and, to a lesser extent, the Tlingit. First contact with European explorers occurred in the 18th century. In the early 19th century, a smallpox epidemic affected virtually every Haida village, wiping out about half the population. During the 1850s, a minor gold rush brought the first influx of Euro-Americans who settled on the islands rather than merely visiting from ships. Settlement increased with the arrival of resident traders and missionaries. Growing reliance on trade led to the abandonment of remote villages until only Skidegate and Masset remained by the century’s end. The Skidegate people, however, seem to preserve the more ancient forms of the language and traditions.

In 1908 the North American Timber Holding Company, headquartered in Seattle, secured from the British Columbia government a 30-year lease on 57,600 acres (23,310 ha) of virgin timberland around Skidegate Inlet and built a small sawmill. Several mill owners, together with members of the Gore and McGregor surveying company, formed the Townsite Company and purchased land lying east and west of the mill. A townsite called Queen Charlotte City was surveyed and laid out with streets, lanes and residential lots. The sawmill’s operation and mining drew more settlers, and in 1909 a hospital opened to serve the community. By 1910 three general stores, a drug and clothing store, two hotels, a pool hall, a boarding house, a barbershop and a newspaper were all operational. The first school classes were held in September 1909 in a room above the pool hall, and in early October a new Methodist church opened. Several buildings from this era remain in use today. The sawmill reopened toward the end of the first world war to mill clear Sitka spruce for airplane lumber. Mining and especially fishing were historically important income sources for Queen Charlotte residents. In 2022 the village name was changed to Daajing Giids. Many residents still work in resource-extraction jobs, but the economy is gradually shifting toward more tourism-oriented employment. Read more here and here. Explore more of Daajing Giids and Graham Island here: