Islands Coming Out of Concealment: Traveling to Haida Gwaii on the Northwest Coast of North America

Abstract

ABSTRACT Haida Gwaii is the most remote island archipelago of the Northwest Coast of North America. During the AD 1700s, the Kaigani Haida migrated from their homeland on Haida Gwaii north to the Prince of Wales Archipelago by canoeing across the open waters of Dixon Entrance. Since First Nations people have lived in this region for over 10,000 years, earlier seafarers made comparable journeys. This paper explores the logistics and oral history of late prehistoric crossings along with sea level history to better understand the conditions faced by early mariners. Initial settlement dates to the late Pleistocene, when Haida Gwaii was connected to the mainland. After the Younger Dryas, water crossings may have been less constrained seasonally. Available evidence suggests that the middle Holocene was a period of relative isolation, but by 3000 years ago, redcedar was established on the islands, making possible the construction of large dugout canoes. This gave rise to the distinctive ocean-going societies documented historically.