Part of the Ravens and Eagles: Haida Art series
In the fall of 1985, a small but resolute troupe of Haida elders journeyed by helicopter to Athlii Gwaii (Lyell Island) to join their young counterparts in a stand against clearcutting. Industrial invasion in the remote archipelago had gone too far. Ancient cedar giants and rare spruce trees-lifeblood of Haida art and culture-had been leveled indiscriminately for too long. Buoyed by their courageous Haida elders, protesters united in peaceful resistance. A total of 72 people were arrested, but their tactics garnered global attention and won change: in 1987, the government established the Gwaii Haanas Park Reserve/Haida Heritage Site.
Archival footage features poignant interviews with elders Ada Yovanovich and Adolphus "Fussy" Marks. Surviving elders Ethel Jones and Watson Pryce share their recollections. Miles Richardson, head of the BC Treaty Commission, Guujaaw, Council of the Haida Nation president, and Allan Wilson, a Haida RCMP officer at the scene, provide further insight into these pivotal events.
Titles included in this series:
Stone Carver (24 minutes)
On the Trail of Property Woman (24 minutes)
In Our Blood (24 minutes)
Haida Jewelers (24 minutes)
NaXine Weaver (24 minutes)
From Hand to Hand: The Legacy of Charles Edenshaw Parts 1 & 2 (46.5 minutes)
The New Collectors: Repatriation Part 1 (24 minutes)
The New Collectors: Repatriation Part 2 (24 minutes)
GiiahlGalang: The State of the Haida Language (24 minutes)
Ravens & Eagles Finale: Defining Haida Art (24 minutes)
For more information about the series producers visit http://www.urbanrez.ca
