In The Haida Gwaii Lesson, former University of California journalism professor and Mother Jones editor Mark Dowie shares the story of the Haida people, relating their struggle for sovereignty and title over their ancient homeland as a strategic playbook for other indigenous peoples. For over 10,000 years, the Haida people thrived on a rugged and fecund archipelago south of Alaska, which they called Haida Gwaii. Nicknamed "the Galapagos of the North," the islands are blessed with a diversity of species unmatched in the northern hemisphere. As western Canada was settled by Europeans, the pressure on natural resources spread with the growing population and its demand for fur, fish, minerals and lumber. Industries found their way to the coastal islands, where they ignored native tribes and commenced what has become one the Pacific coast's most monstrous natural resource extraction campaigns. After almost a century of non-stop exploitation, the Haida people said "enough" and began to resist. Their audacious four-decade struggle involving the courts, human blockades, public testimony and the media became a living object lesson for communities in the same situation the world over.

Based on ancient Haida narratives, this vibrantly illustrated children's book empowers young people and teaches them to live in harmony with nature. Haida Gwaii is home to a rich and vibrant culture whose origins date back thousands of years. Today, the Haida People are known throughout Canada and the world for their artistic achievements, their commitment to social justice and environmental protection, and their deep connection to the natural world. Embedded in Haida culture and drawn from ancient oral narratives are a number of Supernatural Beings, many of them female, who embody these connections to the land, the sea, and the sky. Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii features ten of these ancient figures and presents them to children as visually engaging, empowering, and meaningful examples of living in balance with nature. Developed by renowned Haida activist, lawyer, performer, and artist Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson and Haida educator Sara Florence Davidson, this book challenges stereotypes, helps advance reconciliation, and celebrates Indigenous identity and culture.

Haida Gwaii, ancestral home of the Haida Nation, was once as inaccessible and mysterious as it was beautiful. The tight cluster of islands off British Columbia's northwest coast remained virtually untouchable for millennia, allowing its people to develop a distinct and exceptional cultural identity that was revered across the region. Today, Haida Gwaii--a name that means "islands of the people" in the Haida language--has piqued the interest of world travellers. Applying his in-depth knowledge of the islands' geography, social history, and natural and cultural attractions, Dennis Horwood equips travellers with everything they need to know about visiting these gems of the Pacific.

Colonialism in settler societies such as Canada depends on a certain understanding of the relationship between time and Indigenous peoples. Too often, these peoples have been portrayed as being without a future, destined either to disappear or assimilate into settler society. This book asserts quite the opposite: Indigenous peoples are not in any sense “out of time” in our contemporary world. Shaping the Future on Haida Gwaii shows how Indigenous peoples in Canada not only continue to have a future, but are at work building many different futures – for themselves and for their non-Indigenous neighbours. Through the experiences of the Haida First Nation, this book explores these possible futures in detail, demonstrating how Haida ways of thinking about time, mobility, and political leadership are at the heart of contemporary strategies for addressing the dilemmas that come with life under settler colonialism. From the threat of ecological crisis to the assertion of sovereign rights and authority, Weiss shows that the Haida people consistently turn towards their possible futures in order to work out how to live in and transform the present.

Haida Gwaii, ancestral home of the Haida First Nation, was once as inaccessible and mysterious as it was beautiful. The tight cluster of islands off British Columbia’s northwest coast remained virtually untouchable for millennia, allowing its people to develop a distinct and exceptional cultural identity that was known and revered across the region. Today, Haida Gwaii—a name that means “islands of the people” in the Haida language—has piqued the interest of world travellers. Its magnificent beaches, unique flora and fauna, and world heritage sites have earned international acclaim. Gwaii Haanas National Park in the southern region of the archipelago was named “Best National Park in North America” by National Geographic Traveler. In Haida Gwaii: Islands of the People, the newly updated edition of his bestselling guidebook, Dennis Horwood applies his in-depth knowledge of the islands’ geography, social history, and natural and cultural attractions to equip travellers with everything they need to know about visiting these glorious gems of the Pacific. This indispensible guide includes maps, regional histories, accommodation listings, sample itineraries, wildlife descriptions, recreation tips, and sixteen pages of colour photos.

In 1884, the Canadian government enacted a ban on the potlatch, the foundational ceremony of the Haida people. The tradition, which determined social structure, transmitted cultural knowledge, and redistributed wealth, was seen as a cultural impediment to the government’s aim of assimilation. The tradition did not die, however; the knowledge of the ceremony was kept alive by the Elders through other events until the ban was lifted. In 1969, a potlatch was held. The occasion: the raising of a totem pole carved by Robert Davidson, the first the community had seen in close to 80 years. From then on, the community publicly reclaimed, from the Elders who remained to share it, the knowledge that has almost been lost. Sara Florence Davidson, Robert’s daughter, would become an educator. Over the course of her own education, she came to see how the traditions of the Haida practiced by her father—holistic, built on relationships, practical, and continuous—could be integrated into contemporary educational practices. From this realization came the roots for this book.

Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is the Galapagos of the north. Famous for their wild beauty, the islands are also the ancient homeland of the Haida Nation. Integral to Haida culture is the relationship to the land, and the Haidas have spent many years trying to protect and recover control of it. Under the leadership of Giindajin Haawasti Guujaaw, the visionary artist, drummer, and orator, the Haida blockaded loggers, joined forces with environmentalists, lobbied political leaders, and in 2004 filed suit against the Canadian government, laying claim to their entire traditional territory. Ian Gill captures the excitement of the Haida struggle and their passion for their culture. He also reveals the making of an artist and political activist: Guujaaw’s audacity, eloquence, tactical skills, and deep knowledge of his homeland place him at the heart of this riveting story, and this book reveals his extraordinary role in it.