Haida Gwaii: Human History and Environment from the Time of Loon to the Time of the Iron People(Pacific Rim Archaeology)

The most isolated archipelago on the west coast of the Americas, inhabited for at least 10,500 years, Haida Gwaii has fascinated scientists, social scientists, historians, and inquisitive travellers for decades. This book brings together the results of extensive and varied field research by both federal agencies and independent researchers, and carefully integrates them with earlier archaeological, ethnohistorical, and paleoenvironmental work in the region. It imparts significant new information about the natural history of Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, and the adjacent areas of Hecate Strait. Chapters analyze new data on ice retreat, shoreline and sea level change, faunal communities, and culture history, providing a more comprehensive picture of the history of the islands from the late glacial through the prehistoric period, to the time of European contact, known to the Haida as the "time of the Iron People." Much of the archaeological work was conducted with the direct participation of members of the Haida Nation. As a complement to the scientific approach of the research, two chapters provide a Haida perspective, explaining the value of traditional oral records and recounting several oral histories, including that of Taadl, the loon, which takes us back to the beginning of time. This volume is a veritable compendium of knowledge, out of which emerges the human and environmental history of Haida Gwaii and its dynamic landscape. Haida Gwaii will be of interest to scholars and students in archaeology and anthropology, and those with an interest in the environmental and cultural history of Haida Gwaii.

Table of Contents:
Illustrations Foreword by Guujaaw Foreword by Knut Fladmark Preface and Acknowledgments / Daryl W. Fedje and Rolf W. Mathewes A Note on Radiocarbon Dating Part 1: Paleoenvironmental History 1 Late Quaternary Geology of Haida Gwaii and Surrounding Marine Areas / J. Vaughn Barrie, Kim W. Conway, Heiner Josenhans, John J. Clague, Rolf W. Mathewes, and Daryl W. Fedje 2 Hecate Strait Paleoshorelines / Daryl W. Fedje, Heiner Josenhans, John J. Clague, J. Vaughn Barrie, David J. Archer, and John R. Southon 3 Terrestrial Paleoecology of Haida Gwaii and the Continental Shelf: Vegetation, Climate, and Plant Resources of the Coastal Migration Route / Terri Lacourse and Rolf W. Mathewes 4 Vegetation History of Anthony Island, Haida Gwaii, and Its Relationship to Climate Change and Human Settlement / Richard J. Hebda, Marlow G. Pellatt, Rolf W. Mathewes, Daryl W. Fedje, and Steven Acheson 5 The Evolution of Endemic Species in Haida Gwaii / Tom Reimchen and Ashley Byun 6 History of the Vertebrate Fauna in Haida Gwaii / Rebecca J. Wigen Part 2: Haida Traditional History 7 Tllsda Xaaydas K'aaygang.nga: Long, Long Ago Haida Ancient Stories / Kii7iljuus (Barbara J. Wilson) and Heather Harris 8 Taadl, Nang Kilslaas, and Haida / Nang Kiing.aay7uuans (James Young) Part 3: Haida History through Archaeological Research 9 Overview of Cultural History / Daryl W. Fedje and Quentin Mackie 10 Millennial Tides and Shifting Shores: Archaeology on a Dynamic Landscape / Daryl W. Fedje, Tina Christensen, Heiner Josenhans, Joanne B. McSporran, and Jennifer Harding 11 Kilgii Gwaay: An Early Maritime Site in the South of Haida Gwaii / Daryl W. Fedje, Alexander P. Mackie, Rebecca J. Wigen, Quentin Mackie, and Cynthia Lake 12 Test Excavations at Raised Beach Sites in Southern Haida Gwaii and Their Significance to Northwest Coast Archaeology / Daryl W. Fedje, Martin P. Magne, and Tina Christensen 13 Raised Beach Archaeology in Northern Haida Gwaii: Preliminary Results from the Cohoe Creek Site / Tina Christensen and Jim Stafford 14 The Graham Tradition / Quentin Mackie and Steven Acheson 15 Gwaii Haanas Settlement Archaeology / Steven Acheson 16 Shoreline Settlement Patterns in Gwaii Haanas during the Early and Late Holocene / Alexander P. Mackie and Ian D. Sumpter Conclusion: Synthesis of Environmental and Archaeological Data / Daryl W. Fedje and Rolf W. Mathewes References Notes on Contributors Index

About the Author :
Daryl W. Fedje is an archaeologist with Parks Canada in Victoria, British Columbia. Rolf W. Mathewes is Professor of Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University.