All That We Say is Ours: Guujaaw and the Reawakening of the Haida Nation

Ian Gill

Apr 2022 · Douglas & McIntyre

About this ebook

Haida Gwaii, the ancient territory of the Haida people, is a West Coast archipelago famous for its wild beauty and rich species diversity. But that natural bounty, since European contact, has also been a magnet for industry. In the mid-1970s, the Haida rallied with environmentalists to end the rapacious logging of their monumental old-growth forests—and to reassert their title and rights to their homeland.

Combining first-person accounts with his own vivid prose, Ian Gill traces the struggle from its early days. The battle became epic, stretching from the backwoods of British Columbia to the front benches of Canada’s parliament and uniting a colourful cast of characters. There were many setbacks, but also amazing victories, including the creation of Gwaii Haanas, a world-renowned protected area, and landmark legal decisions. Perhaps the fiercest champion of the Haida’s visionary new stewardship ethic has been Guujaaw—artist, orator, strategist and four-term president of the Council of the Haida Nation.

In 2004, the Haida laid claim to their entire traditional territory: the land, seabed and waters of Haida Gwaii. It was an audacious move, and one that set a benchmark for indigenous rights around the world. In telling this incredible story of political and cultural renaissance, Ian Gill has crafted a gripping, ultilayered narrative with far-reaching reverberations.

About the author

Ian Gill is a founding partner of Salmon Nation and former president of Ecotrust. He worked as a writer and broadcaster for CBC Television, where he won numerous awards for his documentary reporting. He lives on an island in the unceded territory of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth people on the west coast of British Columbia; and occasionally in Vancouver, where he is co-founder of the independent bookstore Upstart & Crow.