Everything about The Queen Charlotte Islands totally explained
The
Queen Charlotte Islands or
Haida Gwaii ("Islands of the People") are an
archipelago off the northwest coast of
British Columbia,
Canada, consisting of two main islands,
Graham Island in the North, and
Moresby Island in the south, and approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of 10 180 km² (3,932 sq mi). The islands are separated from the British Columbia mainland to the east by the
Hecate Strait.
Vancouver Island lies to the south, across
Queen Charlotte Sound, while the
U.S. state of
Alaska is to the north, across the
Dixon Entrance.
Some of the land, including the homelands of the
Haida people, is jointly protected under federal and Haida legislation as
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. The
islands are home to an abundance of
wildlife, including the largest subspecies of
black bear (
Ursus americana carlottae) and the subspecies of
stoat Mustela erminea haidarum. The
black-tailed deer and
raccoon are introduced species that have become abundant.
Economy
The cash economy is blended, including art and natural resources, primarily
logging and
commercial fishing. Furthermore, service industries and government jobs provide about one-third of the jobs, and
tourism has become a more prominent part of the economy in recent years, especially for
fishing and
tour guides,
cycling,
camping, and
adventure tourism.
Population
At the time of colonial contact, the population was roughly 10,000 to 60,000 people, residing in several dozen towns. Ninety percent of the population died during the 1800s from
smallpox; other diseases arrived as well, including
typhoid,
measles, and
syphilis, affecting many more inhabitants. By 1900, only 700 people remained. Towns were abandoned as people left their homes for the towns of Skidegate and Masset, cannery towns on the mainland, or for Vancouver Island. Today, some 3500 people live on the islands. Indigenous people (Haida) live throughout the islands, and are concentrated around
Skidegate and
Old Masset, each with a population of about 1000.
Anthony Island and the town of
Ninstints were made a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006; in the decision, the decline in population wrought by disease was referenced when citing the 'vanished civilization' of the Haida.
European exploration
The archipelago was visited in
1774 by
Juan Pérez (at
Langara Island) and in
1778 by Captain
James Cook. In
1787 the islands were surveyed by Captain
George Dixon. The islands were named by Captain Dixon after one of his ships, the
Queen Charlotte, which was named after Queen
Charlotte, wife of King
George III of the United Kingdom.
The name Haida Gwaii was more recently introduced as an alternative to the colonial name "Queen Charlotte Islands", to recognize the history of the Haida Nation. "Haida Gwaii" means "our land", while "Haida" on its own means not only "us" but also "people".
No longer in common usage is the more ancient name of 'Xaadala Gwayee' or, in alternative
orthography, 'Xhaaydla Gwaayaay', meaning Islands on the Xhaaydla, that's to say, Islands on the Boundary between Worlds, 'Worlds' referring here to the forest, sea, and sky; indeed, the coastal villages of the Haida occur along the meeting of forest, sea, and sky.
Natural setting
The archipelago seems to have escaped much of the glaciation of the last
ice age. That, and its subsequent isolation from the mainland, has produced what some call the "
Galápagos of the North," a unique biological zone with many endemic animals and plants. Its climate, like that of the rest of the British Columbia and Alaskan coast in the area, is moderated by the
Kuroshio Current, and features considerable precipitation and relatively mild temperatures throughout the year.
Haida Gwaii was the site of
Kiidk'yaas (meaning "ancient tree"), the only naturally occurring golden
Sitka Spruce in the world.
The Golden Spruce was sacred to the
Haida people, as well as a popular tourist attraction. The 300-year-old tree was illegally cut down by
Grant Hadwin on
January 22 1997, as an apparent political protest against Canadian-government-sanctioned logging companies. While Botanists from the
University of British Columbia took
cuttings from the fallen tree, explaining that they did so to prevent this unique form of tree from being lost forever, one Haida citizen is aware of the existence of another golden spruce.
The islands are home to a wide variety of other large native trees, including the beautiful
Western Redcedar,
Yellow Cedar(
Nootka Cypress),
Shore Pine,
Western Hemlock,
Mountain Hemlock, and
Red alder.
Another rare natural occurrence that was popular amongst tourists to Haida Gwaii was the
White Raven. This was an
albino raven that was often mistaken for an
eagle or
seagull owing to its unusual colouring. The
White Raven lived around Port Clements and would commonly be seen taking food handouts from locals and visitors alike. It died after making contact with an electrical transformer, temporarily knocking out power to the town and surrounding area.
Earthquake hazards
The Queen Charlotte Islands are located along the
Queen Charlotte Fault, which is an active
transform fault that produces significant earthquakes every 3–30 years. The largest recorded earthquake occurred in 1949, with a magnitude of 8.1 on the
Richter Scale. The most recent earthquakes were in
January 2008, measuring up to 6.5.
Culture
Visual arts
The artwork known as
Haida Gwaii, by
Bill Reid, is featured on the reverse of the Canadian $20 bill. The piece depicts the
Spirit of Haida Gwaii in a canoe, accompanied by the mythic messengers. Haida art is also frequently seen on large monumental sized cedar
totem poles and even as cartoons in the form of
Haida Manga.
Haida language
The
Haida language has been classified as part of the
Nadene family of languages, though most linguists acknowledge a deep resistance to classification and accept that Haida may best be classed as an
language isolate. All 50 remaining speakers of Haida are over 70.
Telus and the Haida Gwaii elders recently completed a project to bring broadband internet to the island via a 150 kilometre microwave relay. This enables interactive research to be carried out on the more than 80 CDs of language, story and spoken history of the people.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Queen Charlotte Islands'.
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