Islands' Spirit Rising
Haida Gwaii, homeland of the Haida Nation, contains some of the richest natural, cultural, and political landscapes in the world. This isolated archipelago is host to some of the last remaining tracts of intact coastal temperate rainforest, as well as several species of plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. Aggressive logging over the past century, however, has threatened not only the unique biodiversity and habitat values, but also the cultural values of the Haida people who have relied on these forests for millennia. Islands’ Spirit Rising examines the long-term conflict over the islands’ ancient forests and recent events that unfolded in the context of collaborative land-use planning. In response to threats posed by a century of logging, a local indigenous-environmental-community movement built enough momentum to challenge the multinational forest industry and political structures enabling it. This book traces the evolution of this dynamic force, from the early days of Haida resistance to the modern context of alliances, legal battles, and evolving forms of governance. In the process, it examines how historic relations of domination and oppression might be transformed and more sustainable forms of governance created.
An important resource for scholars and practitioners of political ecology, regional- and community-based development, resource management, collaborative planning, forestry politics, and environmental studies.
Takeda provides a provocative and much needed explanation of the persistence of unsustainable forest practices in British Columbia … [Her] careful power analysis framework allows her to challenge established historical narratives by presenting a new and pressingly needed perspective on both collaborative ecosystem management and Indigenous land claims.
Islands’ Spirit Rising is a captivating book that answers the question as to how the Haida managed to protect so much of their lands and waters ... after a century-long battle. This book is enlightening, engaging, and a great read.
Islands’ Spirit Rising is a detailed account of one of Canada’s most contentious land-use conflicts and one of its most important models of cultural and ecological renewal. Takeda’s rich work will become a foundational reference for anyone wanting to understand how, out of the Queen Charlotte Islands, Haida Gwaii re-emerged.
This book treats sensitively and effectively the important topic of the relationship between Haida and non-Haida communities on Haida Gwaii and steers a careful course between recognizing the perspectives of both sides and clearly signalling a standpoint in favour of sustainability.
1 Navigating Change on Haida Gwaii
2 The Nature of Power
3 Clash of Nature, Culture, and Economics
4 War in the Woods: 1974-2001
5 Collaborative Planning in the Face of Conflict
6 Actors and Interests
7 State of the Land and Community
8 Recommendations and the Widening Gap
9 Uprising
10 New Political Landscape
Appendix; Notes; References; Index
Cherokee Earth Dwellers
Stories and Teachings of the Natural World
By Christopher B. Teuton and Hastings Shade, with Loretta Shade and Larry Shade; Illustrated by MaryBeth Timothy
Policies for Sustainably Managing Canada’s Forests
Tenure, Stumpage Fees, and Forest Practices
By Martin K. Luckert, David Haley, and George Hoberg
Resource Communities in a Globalizing Region
Development, Agency, and Contestation in Northern British Columbia
Edited by Paul Bowles and Gary N. Wilson
