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Distributed for University of British Columbia Press

Haida Gwaii

Human History and Environment from the Time of Loon to the Time of the Iron People

Distributed for University of British Columbia Press

Haida Gwaii

Human History and Environment from the Time of Loon to the Time of the Iron People

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.”

448 pages | © 2006

Pacific Rim Archaeology


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. Wig

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