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Haida Gwaii, homeland of the Haida Nation, contains some of the richest natural, cultural, and political landscapes in the world. This isolated archipelago is host to some of the last remaining tracts of intact coastal temperate rainforest, as well as several species of plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. Aggressive logging over the past century, however, has threatened not only the unique biodiversity and habitat values, but also the cultural values of the Haida people who have relied on these forests for millennia.
Islands' Spirit Rising examines the long-term conflict over the islands' ancient forests and recent events that unfolded in the context of collaborative land-use planning. In response to threats posed by a century of logging, a local indigenous-environmental-community movement built enough momentum to challenge the multinational forest industry and political structures enabling it. Islands' Spirit Rising traces the evolution of this dynamic force, from the early days of Haida resistance to the modern context of alliances, legal battles, and evolving forms of governance. In the process, it examines how historic relations of domination and oppression might be transformed and more sustainable forms of governance created.
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
1 Navigating Change on Haida Gwaii
2 The Nature of Power
3 Clash of Nature, Culture, and Economics
4 War in the Woods: 1974-2001
5 Collaborative Planning in the Face of Conflict
6 Actors and Interests
7 State of the Land and Community
8 Land Use Recommendations and the Widening Gap
9 Uprising
10 New Political Landscape
Appendix
Notes
References
Index
Louise Takeda is a research affiliate with the POLIS Project on Ecological Government at the University of Victoria.
"Islands' Spirit Rising is a captivating book that answers the question as to how the Haida managed to protect so much of their lands and waters [...] after a century-long battle. This book is enlightening, engaging, and a great read."
– Judith Sayers is an adjunct professor at the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria and a former elected chief of the Hupacasath First Nation
"Islands' Spirit Rising is a detailed account of one of Canada's most contentious land-use conflicts and one of its most important models of cultural and ecological renewal. Takeda's rich work will become a foundational reference for anyone wanting to understand how, out of the Queen Charlotte Islands, Haida Gwaii re-emerged."
– Michael M'Gonigle is the Eco-Research Chair of Environmental Law and Policy and a professor in the Faculty of Law and School of Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria
"This book treats sensitively and effectively the important topic of the relationship between Haida and non-Haida communities on Haida Gwaii and steers a careful course between recognizing the perspectives of both sides and clearly signalling a standpoint in favour of sustainability."
– Fred Gale is an associate professor in the Politics and International Relations Program at the University of Tasmania
