The Haida Nation has several stories explaining how they came to be on these islands. Best known is the myth of Raven, who released the first men from a clam shell on the Islands' northeastern tip. The image of this instigator was captured by Haida artist Bill Reid in his sculpture Raven and the First Men, found at the UBC Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver and on the back of the Canadian $20 bill.
Haida Gwaii the "Islands of the People" have almost as many stories of how people arrived here as there are people here. It is an archepelago that has captured the hearts and minds of explorers, adventurers, geographers, researchers, those off course and those looking for a special place far, far away at the edge of the world.
My story is no different than most of those living here without ancestry on the Islands. By chance, an introduction, a love, an opportunity, a lifestyle. A grouping not part of a larger scheme at least of my planning but the Islands are now my home and responsibility.
If you have the fortune to visit Haida Gwaii someday I encourage you to take the time to chat with some of the local inhabitants. Their tales of arrival are as varied as they are; farmers, fishers, loggers, hippies, stowaways, draft dodgers. They have a diverse and interesting background linked by their common love for Haida Gwaii and the lifestyle the Islands affords.
Despite our different backgrounds, arrival methods and origins, there is unification between the Haida Nation, Island residents and our communities in the recognition that our future as Islanders is linked to our cooperation and the wise use of our resources.
How people arrived here isn't as important as what we do with this place now that we have arrived. That's why if you ask me, I'll tell you I was released by Raven from a clam shell on the Islands northeastern tip.
No comments:
Post a Comment