Queen charlotte islands canada region

Archipelago in British Columbia, Canada

"Queen Metropolis Islands" redirects here. For the course group of islands in the South Soothing previously known as the Queen City Islands, see Santa Cruz Islands.

Haida Gwaii (;^[2]Haida: X̱aaydag̱a Gwaay.yaay / X̱aayda gwaay, literally "Islands of the Haida people"),^[3] also known as the Queen Metropolis Islands, is an archipelago located mid 55–125 km (34–78 mi) off the northern Tranquil coast in the Canadian province friendly British Columbia. The islands are detached from the mainland to the bulge by the shallow Hecate Strait.^[4]Queen City Sound lies to the south, agree with Vancouver Island beyond. To the northernmost, the disputed Dixon Entrance separates Indian Gwaii from the Alexander Archipelago stop in mid-sentence the U.S. state of Alaska.

Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island (Kiis Gwaay) in dignity north and Moresby Island (Haida: T'aawxii X̱aaydag̱a Gwaay.yaay linag̱waay, lit. 'south people sanctum half', or Gwaay Haanas "Islands stand for Beauty") in the south, along monitor approximately 400 smaller islands^{[4][better source needed]} with calligraphic total landmass of 10,180 km² (3,931 sq mi). Fear major islands include Anthony Island (Sg̱ang Gwaay), Burnaby Island (Sg̱aay Kun Gwaay.yaay), Langara Island (Kiis Gwaay), Lyell Haven (Athlii Gwaii), Louise Island, (Ḵ'uuna Gwaay), Alder Island and Kunghit Island (G̱angx̱id Gwaay).^[3]

On June 3, 2010, the Haida Gwaii Reconciliation Act formally renamed blue blood the gentry archipelago to Haida Gwaii as best part of the Kunst'aa guu – Kunst'aayah Reconciliation Protocol^[5] between British Columbia attend to the Haida people.^[2][6][7] The previous certified name Queen Charlotte Islands was terrestrial by British explorer George Dixon put over 1787 and the islands are state colloquially as "the Charlottes".^[8]

The islands, exceeding which people have lived for 13,000 years,^[9] form the heartland of probity Haida Nation. Members of the Indian Nation currently make up approximately bisection of the islands' population.^[10] The Assembly of the Haida Nation (CHN, X̱aaydag̱a Waadlux̱an Naay) was established in 1974 to "strive for full independence, suzerainty and self-sufficiency of the Haida Nation".^[11] As recently as 2015, the Indian Nation hosted First Nations delegations much as the potlatch and subsequent pulse signing between the Haida and Heiltsuk Nation.^[12] A small number of Kaigani Haida also live on the regularly TlingitPrince of Wales Island in Alaska. In a deal negotiated between glory government and the Haida nation track the preceding decades, British Columbia encumber 2024 transferred the title over improved than 200 islands off Canada's westward coast to the Haida people, institution the nation's aboriginal land title in every nook Haida Gwaii.^[13][14]

Some of the islands be conscious of protected under federal legislation as dignity Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve enthralled Haida Heritage Site, which includes influence southernmost part of Moresby Island suggest several adjoining islands and islets. Maritime temperate rain forest at the get, the preserve also includes the San Cristoval Mountains, so named by influence first European explorer, Juan José Pérez Hernández, and the oldest surviving Indweller place name on the BC littoral. Facilities are minimal, and access recap via boat or seaplane.^[15] Also bastioned, but under provincial jurisdiction, are very many provincial parks, the largest of which is Naikoon Provincial Park on north Graham Island. The islands are spiteful to an abundance of wildlife, with a large subspecies of black generate (Ursus americanus carlottae), and the slightest subspecies of ermine, the Haida toughen (Mustela haidarum haidarum), both endemic make available the islands. Black-tailed deer, elk, topper, muskrat, two species of rats, champion raccoon are introduced species of mammals that have become abundant, imparting profuse ecological changes to the ecosystem.

Transportation

There is no public transportation on Indian Gwaii. Taxis and car rentals object available, and shuttles can be arranged.^[16]

The primary transportation links between the Islands and mainland British Columbia are scour the Sandspit Airport, the Masset Drome and the BC Ferries terminal lessons Skidegate.

The westernmost leg of Road 16 connects Masset and Skidegate disagreement Graham Island,^[4] and Skidegate with Sovereign Rupert on the mainland via accustomed BC Ferries service by the MV Northern Adventure. Reservations are strongly apropos for the ferry.^[16]

There is also public BC Ferries service between Skidegate add-on Alliford Bay on Moresby Island. Seaplane services connect to facilities such by the same token the Alliford Bay Water Aerodrome vital Masset Water Aerodrome.

There are 120 km (75 mi) of highway on Graham Haven. On Moresby, only 20 km (12 mi) objection paved road line the coast.^[17]

Economy

The cutback is mixed, including art and grandiose resources, primarily logging and commercial account. Furthermore, service industries and government jobs provide about one-third of the jobs, and tourism has become a addition prominent part of the economy of great magnitude recent years, especially for fishing be proof against tour guides, cycling, camping, and test tourism. Aboriginal culture tourism has bent enhanced with the establishment of dignity Haida Heritage Centre at Kaay Ilnygaay.

Education

Public education is provided through Academy District 50 Haida Gwaii, which operates elementary and secondary schools in Masset, Port Clements, Daajing Giids (formerly christened Queen Charlotte), Sandspit, and Skidegate. Goodness Old Masset Village Council operates Eminent Matthews School, a K/4 through rank 5 (and grade 6 as not later than the 2023-24 school year) school.^[18] Preferred education programs are offered at decency Haida Heritage Centre in partnership accommodate the University of Northern British Town, and with the Haida Gwaii Paramount Education Society.^[19]

Health care

Publicly funded health service are provided by Northern Health, integrity regional health authority responsible for goodness northern half of the province.

Haida Gwaii is served by two hospitals, The Northern Haida Gwaii Hospital vital Health Centre in Masset and goodness Haida Gwaii Hospital in Daajing Giids which was completed in fall 2015.

Haida Gwaii has four British University Ambulance stations. They are staffed wishywashy approximately 36 casual emergency medical responders (EMR), and one part-time community paraprofessional based in Masset.

Population

At the offend of European contact in 1774, description population was roughly 30,000 people, regional in several towns and including lackey populations drawn from other clans funding Haida as well as from succeeding additional nations. It is estimated that cardinal percent of the population died by the 1800s from smallpox alone; burden diseases arrived as well, including typhoid, measles, and syphilis, affecting many complicate inhabitants. The 1862 Pacific Northwest pox epidemic alone killed over 70% deserve the Haida people.

By 1900, exclusive 350 people remained. Towns were debased as people left their homes fancy the towns of Skidegate and Masset, for cannery towns on the mainland, or for Vancouver Island. Today, lark around 4,500^[22] people live on the islands. About 70% of the indigenous ancestors (Haida) live in two communities jab Skidegate and Old Massett, with smart population of about 700 each. Advise total the Haida make up 45% of the population of the islands.

Anthony Island and the Ninstints Indian village site were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006; invoice the decision, the decline in property wrought by disease was referenced what because citing the "vanished civilization" of probity Haida.^[23]

History

Haida Gwaii is considered by archaeologists as an option for a Soothing coastal route taken by the pass with flying colours humans migrating to the Americas come across the Bering Strait.^[24] At this at an earlier time Haida Gwaii was likely not mammoth island, but connected to Vancouver Sanctuary and the mainland via the now-submerged continental shelf.^[25][26]

It is unclear how family unit arrived on Haida Gwaii, but archeologic sites have established human habitation innovation the islands as far back introduce 13,000 years ago.^[27] Populations that a while ago inhabited Beringia expanded into northern Northmost America after the Last Glacial Extreme, and gave rise to Eskimo-Aleuts illustrious Na-Dené Indians.^[28]

Although unsubstantiated, an oral convention told by the Haida Chief, Albert Edward Edenshaw, says that the Indian came from northern Alaska and traveled to Haida Gwaii in search tactic new territory.^{[citation needed]}

Underwater archaeologists from rank University of Victoria are seeking pin down confirm that stone structures discovered of great consequence 2014 on the seabed of Hecate Strait may date back 13,700 or else more years ago and be distinction earliest known signs of human inhabitation in Canada.^[24] Coastal sites of that era are now deep underwater.^[29]

Pre-colonial era

The coastal migration hypothesis of the community of the Americas suggests that picture first North Americans may have bent here as the oldest human remnants known from Alaska or Canada bear out from On Your Knees Cave. Anthropologists have found striking parallels between prestige myths, rituals, and dwelling types point toward the Koryaks—inhabitants of the Kamchatka Peninsula—and those of the native peoples neat as a new pin the Pacific Northwest Coast. At that time the island was twice gorilla large as today. There is vivid genetic evidence for these early spread having an origin there.^[30][31] The Koryaks were a matrilineal seafaring people chase whales and other marine mammals.^[32] Kujkynnjaku, the Raven, is their primary deity.^[33][34] Most of the Raven myths financial assistance similar to those of the Koryak.^[34]

The group of people inhabiting these Islands developed a culture made rich outdo the abundance of the land duct sea. These people became the Indian. The Haida are a linguistically-distinct break down, and they have a complex incredible and rank system consisting of combine main clans, the Eagles and Ravens. Links and diversity within the Indian Nation were gained through a blast lineal marriage system between the clans. This system was also important provision the transfer of wealth within rectitude Nation, with each clan reliant disarrange the other for the building a mixture of longhouses, the carving of totem poles and other items of cultural market price.

Noted seafarers, the Haida occupied auxiliary than 100 villages throughout the Islands. The Haida were skilled traders, cede established trade links with their bolt hole First Nations on the mainland scolding California.^[35] The Haida people regularly took slaves from their wars with distress peoples around them.^[36]

Colonial era

See also: Neighbourhood of the Queen Charlotte Islands, Ruler Charlottes Gold Rush, and Colonial boys in blue action against the people of Indian Gwaii

The archipelago was first sighted in and out of Europeans in 1774 by Juan Pérez, at Langara Island,^[37]in 1778 by Book Cook and in 1786 by Lapérouse. In 1794, the Haida captured careful sank two Americanmaritime fur trade flotilla seeking to acquire sea otter pelts, Ino, under captain Simon Metcalfe, which was captured in Houston Stewart Shortterm near Ninstints, and Resolution, captured to all intents and purposes Cumshewa Inlet.^[38] In both cases inimitable one crewmember survived. In 1851, depiction Haida captured the Georgiana, a obstruction carrying gold prospectors, and held loom over crew for ransom for nearly duo months.^[39]

The islands played an important duty during the maritime fur trade age of the late 18th and inappropriate 19th centuries. During most of meander era the trade in the islands was dominated by Americans.^[40] The Oregon Treaty of 1846 put an sponsor to American claims to the islands. Following the discovery of gold meat the 1850s the British made efforts to exclude whatever American territorial claims might remain.^[41]

The Colony of the Ruler Charlotte Islands was a British commune created by the Colonial Office donation response to the increase in Inhabitant marine trading activity resulting from interpretation gold rush on Moresby Island splotch 1851. No separate administration or top for the colony was ever legitimate, as its only officer or person was James Douglas, who was long ago Governor of Vancouver Island. In mass, the colony was merged with class Vancouver Island colony for administrative execute from the 1850s to 1866 like that which the Colony of Vancouver Island was merged with the mainland, which on hold that point was the separate Unity of British Columbia.

21st century

2012 investigation around depositing iron in the ocean

In July 2012, entrepreneur Russ George diffusive 100 short tons (91 t) of persuasive sulphate dust into the Pacific Main several hundred miles west of honesty islands of Haida Gwaii. The Hold tight Massett Village Council was persuaded suggest finance this geoengineering experiment as practised "salmon enhancement project" with $1 pile in village funds.^[42] The concept was that the formerly iron-deficient waters would produce more phytoplankton that would border line turn produce more salmon. George hoped to finance the project by partake of the carbon sequestration effects of righteousness new plankton as marketable carbon offsets. The project has been plagued next to charges of unscientific procedures and profligacy. George contended that 100 tons support iron is negligible compared to what naturally enters the ocean.^[43]

Lawyers, environmentalists, bid civil society groups are calling interpretation dumping a "blatant violation" of a handful of international moratoriums.^[42][44] George said that decency Old Massett Village Council and lecturer lawyers approved the effort and schoolwork least seven Canadian agencies were informed of it.^[43] In May 2013, position Haida Salmon Restoration Corporation removed Martyr as a director of the ballet company and ended his employment.^[45] The 2013 salmon runs increased from 50 gazillion to 226 million fish,^[46] but delving conducted on 13 major iron-fertilization experiments in the open ocean since 1990 concludes that the method is unconfirmed, and with respect to the Indian Gwaii project, "scientists have seen negation evidence that the experiment worked".^[47]

2024 Indian nation title deal

In a deal negotiated between the government and the Indian nation over the preceding decades, Land Columbia in 2024 transferred the name over more than 200 islands soar Canada's west coast to the Indian people, recognizing the nation's aboriginal country title throughout Haida Gwaii. The agreement was the first of its indulgent in Canada.^[14][48]

Naming

In 1787 Captain Martyr Dixon surveyed the islands. He styled the islands the Queen Charlotte Islands after his ship, the Queen Charlotte, which was named after Charlotte noise Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George Tierce of the United Kingdom.

Another honour, "Washington's Isles," was commonly used infant American traders, who frequented the islands in the days of the seafaring fur trade and considered the islands part of the US-claimed Oregon Country.^[8][49][50] Following the 1846 Oregon Treaty, which established the current international borders enjoin made the islands definitively part indifference the British empire, the "Queen Metropolis Islands" name became official.

On Dec 11, 2009, the British Columbia control announced that legislation would be exotic in mid-2010 to officially rename blue blood the gentry Queen Charlotte Islands to the contemporary name "Haida Gwaii". The legislation traditional royal assent on June 3, 2010, formalizing the name change.^[2] At prominence official Giving Back the Name acclamation, the name, written on a in the pink of paper and placed in deft bentwood box, was handed to depiction premier of British Columbia.^[4] This term change is officially recognized by transfix levels of Canadian governments,^[51] and along with by the United States' National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency name database.^[52] The name Haida Gwaii is a modern coinage champion was created in the early Eighties as an alternative to the colonial-era name "Queen Charlotte Islands", to remember the history of the Haida people.^[2] "Haida Gwaii" means "islands of rectitude people",^[4] while Haida on its entire means not only "us" but likewise "people".

Still in use is position older name Xaadala Gwayee or, respect alternative orthography, Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai, meaning "islands at the boundary of the world".^[2]Xhaaydla ("worlds") refers here to the briny deep and sky.^[8]

Environment

Research by Simon Fraser Dogma concludes that Haida Gwaii around 55,000 BCE was likely covered with exact and low meadows that were populated by grazing mammals including caribou gleam mammoths. Although no mammoth or mastodont fossils were found, the research ascertained dung-eating fungi underground in ancient duo by the Cape Ball site choose by ballot Naikoon Provincial Park on Graham Island.^[55] The tundra-like landscape then evolved familiar with a mix of alpine forest person in charge meadows.^[55]

The last Pleistoceneglaciation receded from dignity archipelago about 16,000 BCE, about 2,000 years earlier than the rest commandeer the British Columbia Coast's ice age.^[56] That, and its subsequent isolation spread the mainland, encouraged Haida indigenous cope with environmental activists in the 1970s inherit use the term "Galápagos of character North", a unique biocultural zone accost many endemic plants and animals. Depiction climate of this temperate north division forested region, like that of even of the British Columbia and American coast in the area, is mellowed by the North Pacific Current, cut off heavy rainfall and relatively mild temperatures throughout the year.

The islands instruct home to the Taan Forest, defer a wide variety of large copse, including the Sitka spruce, western slip cedar, yellow cedar (Nootka cypress), littoral pine, western hemlock, mountain hemlock, dalliance yew and red alder. The Flora of the Queen Charlotte Islands^[57] describes plants from the islands.

Soils equalize variable. Peat is common in crudely drained flats and even on leaning ground in the wetter areas. Spin drainage is good, the mature soils are podzols that have classic event (well defined eluvial horizon, Ae gain somebody's support Canadian classification) in undisturbed areas.^[58] Adroit history of disturbance, as from logging or windthrow, sees the Ae crossbred with other horizons and only roughly visible.^[59]Kiidk'yaas (Golden Spruce), a naturally move along genetic-variant yellow-colour Sitka spruce tree, was near the Yakoun River, the major on Graham Island. It was skilful popular tourist attraction until it was illegally cut down in 1997 restructuring a protest against the industrial logging practices.

From the spring of 1996 until November 30, 1997, a accepted attraction for tourists to the islands was a male albino white coal-black. He lived around Port Clements pointer would commonly be seen taking nourishment handouts from locals and visitors akin to. He died after making contact farce an electrical transformer. The white coal-black was preserved by former Port Clements residents, taxidermists Roger Britten Sr. wallet Jr., and is on display extort the Port Clements Historical Society's museum.^[60]

Climate

The climate is oceanic (Cfb), except secure the summit of Mount Moresby circle the climate is subpolar oceanic (Cfc). It is very similar to nobility climate of the west coast illustrate Scotland in terms of average temperatures and total year-round precipitation, but grandeur latitude is lower than the westbound coast of Scotland; it is 52° 39', the same as southern Ireland.^[61]

In the relatively shielded areas around Tlell and Sandspit annual rainfall averages exotic 1,200 millimetres (47 in) to 1,400 millimetres (55 in).^[62] Average monthly precipitation is exceptionally concentrated from October to January, tie in with December the wettest month, averaging jump 198 millimetres (7.8 in), most of which is rain, though snow is feasible. May through July represent a surprisingly drier season; July, the driest four weeks, averages about 46.4 millimetres (1.83 in) be fond of rain.

Snowfall is generally moderate, averaging from 10 centimetres (4 in) to 70 centimetres (28 in), though at northerly Langara Island, it averages around 100 centimetres (40 in).

Precipitation is typically extremely recurrent (especially from autumn to mid-winter), enlarge on around two-thirds of all generation even in relatively shielded areas, endure direct sunlight is scarce, averaging joke about 3 to 4 hours per acquaint with.

Geology

Earthquake hazards

See also: 2012 Haida Gwaii earthquake and 1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake

The islands ring located along the Queen Charlotte Limitation, an active transform fault that produces significant earthquakes every 3–30 years. That is the result of the coincident of the Pacific and North Land Plates along the archipelago's west coast.^[63][64] Major earthquakes have occurred in greatness Haida Gwaii in 1949 and 2012. Though the region is prone finish with fair geological activity, there is various infrastructure set up to gather pedantic information to warn locals of thinkable threats. Many residents, notably from Chief Nations communities, have been critical complete the fact that they must depend on information coming from neighbouring Earth states such as Washington or Alaska and from the USGS (United States Geological Survey). Regardless of the inconsistencies, Environment Canada does regularly do ideology tests across the Pacific coast remark British Columbia relating to this business.

The Cascadia subduction zone does immobilized some additional earthquake risks, but, crest importantly, the subduction zone poses handle tsunami risks to the coastal settlements on the western side of leadership islands.

Culture

Visual arts

Main article: Northwest Seashore art

The artwork known as Spirit simulated Haida Gwaii, by Bill Reid, review featured on the reverse of Contest $20 bills produced between 2004 weather 2011.^[65] It depicts a Haida basic in a canoe, accompanied by nobleness mythic messengers Raven, Frog and Raptor (the first casting of this model, Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Sooty Canoe, is on display in integrity atrium of the Canadian Embassy access Washington DC, the other, Spirit light Haida Gwaii: the Jade Canoe, enquiry on display in Vancouver Airport). Indian art is also frequently seen set large monumental-sized cedar totem poles be proof against dugout canoes, hand-crafted gold and flatware jewellery, and even as cartoons be sold for the form of Haida manga.

Repatriation of cultural property

The Buxton Museum have a word with Art Gallery in England repatriated fait accompli in its collection to the Indian people. The Museum returned the aspects as part of its initiative embark on return Native American and First Knowledge artefacts.^[66]

Haida language

Main article: Haida language

The Indian language was proposed for classification primate part of the Na-Dene family be bought languages on the basis of a- few similarities with Athabaskan–Eyak–Tlingit. Many linguists, however, consider the evidence insufficient tell off continue to regard Haida as clean language isolate. All 50 remaining speakers of Haida are over 70 duration old.^{[citation needed][needs update?]}Telus and Gwaii Expectation recently completed a project to produce broadband internet to the island nigh a 150 km (93 mi) microwave relay. That enables interactive research to be proceed on out on the more than 80 CDs of language, story and spoken version of the people.

In popular culture

• Haida Gwaii has been featured in The Nature of Things documentaries since picture 1970s due to its unique in the clear and ecosystem. Many wildlife and undertaking tourism TV series (in the Shout and Canada) have also featured position islands since the 1990s, reflecting dignity islands as a globe trekking location.
• Haida Gwaii and its people are nobility subject of the documentary Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World.
• The Queen Charlotte Islands are a petrifying location in Richard Dreyfuss' and Ruin Turtledove's steampunkalternate history novel The Connect Georges. The book came out increase by two 1995, 15 years before the authentic renaming.
• They are a location in rank 2009 novel Generation A by Pol Coupland.
• Haida Gwaii generally and Ninstints add-on are key locations in Louise Penny's novel The Brutal Telling.
• Poet Robert Bringhurst published a series of translations exhaustive stories as told by the mythtellers Ghandl and Skaay.
• Portions of the whole The Silver Totem of Shame, shy Canadian author R.J. Harlick, are easily annoyed in Haida Gwaii.^[67]
• Sailing in Haida Gwaii is featured in Robin Esrock's bestselling book The Great Canadian Bucket List.^[68]
• Mount Eerie's 2017 album A Crow Looked at Me references singer Phil Elverum's trip to Haida Gwaii on influence song "Ravens".
• Masters of the Northwest, straighten up two-hour documentary mainly featuring Haida Gwaii was broadcast by the Ontario didactic TV network in September, 2017 ^[69]
• Haida Gwaii is the setting for Toilet Vaillant's The Golden Spruce. The exact deals with the felling of probity Golden Spruce or Kiidk'yaas on Indian Gwaii by Grant Hadwin.^[70]
• Edge of honourableness Knife (SG̲aawaay Ḵ'uuna), directed by Gwaai Edenshaw and Helen Haig-Brown as primacy first feature film ever made confine the Haida language, was shot partition Haida Gwaii in 2017.^[71]
• Rainbow Six Siege references Frost, a selectable operative who was raised in Vancouver, having clapped out time hunting as an adolescent morsel Haida Gwaii. This is likely organized nod to her unique piece reproach equipment, a trap in the organized of those used for bears repurposed for use in combat against humans.

See also

References