Our Society
Mission
To perpetuate and enhance Haida culture. Our goal is to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through public services and events; while enhancing our creative and entrepreneurial communities through programming and dedicated space access.
Vision
Haida culture, language, values, and knowledge will be integrated into public policy, institutions and programming serving Haida to sustain the cultural vitality of current and future generations
Precious Culture House
Flagship Project
The Precious Culture House is envisioned to be a two-story, flexible space designed to support creative, cultural, and entrepreneurial activities on Haida Gwaii.
Combining traditional Haida design with modern functionality, it provides everything needed for community members to gather, create, and learn.
Main Level: Open-Concept Flex Space
The main level is an open, adaptable space where most activities will take place, including:
Co-Working Area (X̱aayda Hub 2.0): A flexible space with desks, high-speed internet, and wireless printing available throughout. It’s perfect for working on creative projects, business ventures, or collaborating with others.
Screening Room: A 50-seat screening space with a projector and pull-out seating for film screenings, community presentations, and events. When not in use, it easily folds away to keep the space open.
Maker Space: Featuring tools like 3D printers, large format printers, silk screening, weaving, and carving materials, this space allows artists and makers to bring their projects to life. Heavier work like carving can be done in a covered outdoor area.
Open Kitchen & Storage: A shared kitchen for community gatherings and events, plus storage for equipment and chairs, ensuring the space can easily adapt to different activities.
Second Level: Dedicated Spaces
Upstairs will offer more specialized areas:
Accommodation: Two short-term units will host visiting artists and facilitators, making it easier to bring in talent for community programming.
Post-Production Suite: A space for editing films and media projects, fully equipped with the latest tools.
Private Offices & Meeting Room: A small admin office, private meeting room, and lounge for quieter work or meetings, plus an outdoor deck for relaxing or working.
Co-Working
The X̱aayda Hub 2.0 at the Precious Culture House is a dynamic co-working space designed to support local entrepreneurs, creatives, and community organizations. Equipped with modern amenities and flexible workspaces, it fosters collaboration and innovation in a culturally enriched environment.
The hub provides a vibrant setting for networking, skill-building, and business growth, all while rooted in the values of Haida culture. By offering this space, we aim to empower community members to thrive professionally and creatively within our shared cultural heritage.
Language Café
The X̱aw Kil Naay Language Café at the Precious Culture House is a welcoming space for community members to learn and practice the Haida language. This judgment-free environment encourages participants of all levels to engage with the language through fun, interactive activities.
The café provides resources and a supportive setting, helping to build confidence and fluency. Through this initiative, we aim to preserve and revitalize our cultural heritage by making language learning accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Accommodation
The Precious Culture House provides comfortable accommodations for visiting facilitators and artists, addressing a key logistical challenge for arts, educational, and cultural programming on Haida Gwaii.
On-site lodging ensures consistent, high-quality programming by making it easier to bring in external expertise. This setup fosters deeper engagement with the local community and supports the sustainability of our initiatives.
Movie Screenings
The Precious Culture House features a 50-seat movie screening room dedicated to showcasing local films and creative works. This intimate space provides a platform for Haida Gwaii filmmakers and storytellers to share their projects with the community, fostering a deeper connection to local culture and stories.
The screening room is equipped with modern audiovisual technology, offering a high-quality viewing experience. By hosting regular screenings, we aim to celebrate and elevate local talent while creating a gathering place for film enthusiasts and cultural exchange.
Maker Space
The Maker Space at the Precious Culture House is a creative hub featuring 3D printers, large format printers, silk screening equipment, weaving and carving materials, and more.
It offers community members the tools and resources to explore both traditional Haida crafts and modern digital fabrication. This versatile space empowers users to bring their creative visions to life, fostering innovation, skill development, and cultural expression.
Workshop Space
Our open-concept workshop space is designed to support a wide range of workshops and creative, entrepreneurial programming. This adaptable area can be configured for various activities, providing a versatile environment that fosters collaboration, learning, and innovation.
Whether hosting hands-on workshops or business training sessions, the space is key to nurturing the growth of our community. By offering this flexible setting, we enable diverse programming that meets the evolving needs of Haida Gwaii.
Key Partner
The Haida Gwaii Media Collective is a media training and production initiative for all residents of Haida Gwaii to gain the resources, skills and experience in digital storytelling
The Precious Culture House will become the permanent home of the HGMC and community equipment rental library
THE HGMC SUPPORTS SKIDEGATE, DAAJING GIIDS, AND THE BROADER HAIDA GWAII COMMUNITY THROUGH:
Affordable media equipment rentals
Workshops and Training in media production and storytelling
A directory and showcase of local talent and creative work
Tutorials and educational resources
Key Partner
InnoNative is a Haida Gwaii-based film production company lead by award-winning Indigenous entrepreneur and filmmaker Patrick Shannon.
The Precious Culture House will serve as the official home of InnoNative and function as a production studio and post-production house that employs dozens of locals in media production.
Most recently InnoNative has produced a feature-length Haida basketball documentary Saints and Warriors (CRAVE, Telefilm Canada), and TV shows Stuff The British Stole (CBC, ABC), A Golden Voice (Knowledge Network), and Amplify (APTN).
Naaxiin Weaving
Project
The Precious Culture Society and project lead Brianna Julian has faciliated a landmark cultural arts revitalization initiative to help bring back to prominence an endangered traditional weaving practice Indigenous to Haida Gwaii and the Northwest coast of BC/Southeast Alaska.
INTERMEDIATE NAAXIIN WORKSHOP SERIES
April - August 2025
Building upon skills developed in the beginner's workshops series, 6 dedicated participants will enhance their weaving skills through the creation of Naaxiin leggings. Taught by Evelyn Vanderhoop
BEGINNER NAAXIIN WORKSHOP SERIES
March - May 2024
A beginner workshop series taught by Master Weaver, Evelyn Vanderhoop, to a group of 10 beginner Naaxiin weavers. Each participant created two projects to learn foundational techniques and support understanding of weaving of formline art styles.
Haida Sails Resurgence
Project
Spearheaded by the renowned Churchill family of Master weavers, the Haida Sails Resurgence project supports the development of the first Haida cedar woven sail in over 200 years.
Through cross cultural collaborations, Haida weavers have begun working with other coastal Nations (Hawa’ii, Maori) to revitalize the making and use of Haida sails, which were historically used for long-distance trade.
This project is being supported and administered by the Precious Culture Society
Ravenstail Robe Weaving
Community Project
Supporting the continuation of Ravenstail weaving and cultural sharing and trade economy, a group of experienced weavers across Haida Gwaii will work together to weave a community sea otter backed Ravenstail Robe. This robe will be the first sea otter backed robe to be woven in modern times.
This Ravenstail Robe project is occurring alongside an Alaskan project to re-weave the 12 historical Ravenstail Robes currently in Museums across the world. The Haida Community Ravenstail Robe will join the 12 new robes in their inaugural dancing-to-life at the 2026 Celebration event in Juneau, Alaska.
The Team
The Precious Culture Society was founded by Indigenous changemakers Nang Ḵ’uulas Patrick Shannon, Lo’lus Brianna-Rose Julian, and Marchel Shannon.
With a passion for supporting arts and culture in the communities of Haida Gwaii; the Precious Culture Society team are building capacity and pushing to create dedicated spaces to address the needs within Haida Gwaii’s artistic, cultural, and economic communities.
BUILDING THE EXPERTISE AND INFRASTRUCTURE TO BRING HAIDA GWAII TO THE WORLD
Our arts & culture society, Precious Culture Society, is dedicated to supporting the advancement of creative and cultural arts on Haida Gwaii.
Through workshops, media production, co-working, and social entrepreneurship, we aim to nurture and promote the diverse talents and traditions of this unique region.
Join us in celebrating and preserving the rich heritage of Haida Gwaii through our innovative programs and initiatives.
You can also support the Precious Culture Society through donations at the link below.