Haida Gwaii: Journeys Through the Queen Charlotte Islands

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian studies at
Concordia University, and the author of Kurlek, Margaret Laurence: The
Long Journey Home, and As Though Life Mattered: Leo Kennedy’s Story.

For adventurers and naturalists, the Haida homeland known as Haida Gwaii
is one of the magnets of Canada’s extraordinary West Coast. It is both
a place and a people, as Ian Gill observes in a historical, ecological,
and personal introduction that orients the reader in space and time.
Fighting over the area’s management led to the creation of the South
Moresby National Park Reserve in 1987, but conflict between government
and people continues.

The book combines historical, geographic, and naturalist data with the
personal experiences of writer, photographer, and crew in the area. This
mix allows readers to participate in the ongoing processes of exploring,
working, and learning. Reading Gill’s text may be the next-best
experience to being there.

David Nunuk’s fine color photography includes a number of small
photos nestled into the text, some full-page shots, and a few
magnificent double-page spreads, such as the photo of Takakia Lake at
sunset or that of Tow Hill (a basalt cliff towering over ocean spray).
His subjects range from the crew at work to Haida poles and the
incredible natural world.

Each year usually brings new titles on Haida Gwaii, but this
Gill–Nunuk production is one of the best.