Brian, my neighbour, was over this morning to fix the bookcases. They had collapsed, likely under the weight of the books. This has given me the opportunity to rediscover a number of books collected in our travels. For example, shelf 6 focuses on Haida Gwaii.
As I try to understand the stand off between the citizens in rural Nova Scotia with their concern for the forested landscape and associated species and the provincial government, intent on clear-cutting and spraying, I wonder whether there are lessons from Lyell Island on Haida Gwaii.
My starting point was the book by Joseph Weiss, Shaping the Future: life beyond settler colonization on Haida Gwaii.
Is there life beyond settler colonization in Nova Scotia?
On the same shelf, I found Islands in the Salish Sea: a community atlas.
Two quotations, from Geographers struck home. In the Preface from Robert Bateman,
“In our global, packaged world we are losing a sense of place. This is a philosophical tragedy. It results in a lack of caring, a lack of sense of community and a neglect of civil responsibility. It is also an environmental and human tragedy. For with the loss of knowledge of and intimacy with our home place, we are losing our sense of spirit.”
In the Foreword, Briony Penn:
“One thing I have learned as a professional geographer is that whoever has the maps in their hand controls the fate of the land. Cartographers have been at the forefront of turning land and nature into polygons of commodities.”
I would also recommend the writings from Robert Bringhurst and Ian Gill. For readers interested in Haida Gwaii, I have provided a list of titles from Shelf 6. Perhaps, at a later date, we can visit other shelves.
Acknowledgements
Heather shared the Haida Gwaii experience. Edward provided the graphics.
References
Joseph Weiss, 2018, Shaping the Future: life beyond settler colonization on Haida Gwaii. UBC Press.
Sheila Harrington and Judi Stevenson (Ed), 2005, Islands in the Salish Sea: a community atlas. The Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia.
Christie Harris, 1992, Raven’s Cry. Douglas and McIntyre.
Ian Gill, 2004, Haida Gwaii Journeys through the Queen Charlotte Islands, Rainforest Books.
Karen Duffek and Charlotte Townsend-Gault (Ed), 2005, Bill Reid and Beyond: expanding on modern native art, Douglas and McIntyre.
Robert Bringhurst (Ed), 2009, Solitary Raven : the essential writings of Bill Reid, Douglas and McIntyre.
Thom Henley, 2017, Raven walks around the World, Harbour Publishing.
Robert Bringhurst, 2012, A Story as Sharp as a Knife. Douglas and McIntyre.
Ian Gill, 2009, All that we say is ours: Guujaaw and the reawakening of the Haida Nation, Douglas and McIntyre.
Dennis Horwood and Tom Parkin, 2006, Haida Gwaii: the Queen Charlotte Islands, Heritage House.
Ruth Kirk, 1986, Wisdom of the Elders: native traditions on the Northwest coast, Douglas and McIntyre.
Christie Harris, 1977, Mouse Woman and the Mischief-maker, McLelland Stewart.
Sean Markey et al., 2005, Second Growth: community economic development in rural British Columbia, UBC Press.
Ernest Blair Experiment 