All That We Say Is Ours: Guujaaw and the Reawakening of the Haida Nation [Hardcover]

Ian Gill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 2010 | ISBN-10: 1553651863 | ISBN-13: 978-1553651864

Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is the Galapagos of the north. Famous for their wild beauty, the islands are also the ancient homeland of the Haida Nation. Integral to Haida culture is the relationship to the land, and the Haidas have spent many years trying to protect and recover control of it. Under the leadership of Giindajin Haawasti Guujaaw, the visionary artist, drummer, and orator, the Haida blockaded loggers, joined forces with environmentalists, lobbied political leaders, and in 2004 filed suit against the Canadian government, laying claim to their entire traditional territory. Ian Gill captures the excitement of the Haida struggle and their passion for their culture. He also reveals the making of an artist and political activist: Guujaaw’s audacity, eloquence, tactical skills, and deep knowledge of his homeland place him at the heart of this riveting story, and this book reveals his extraordinary role in it.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“All That We Say Is Ours raises very difficult questions about our country's political integrity and our civilization's flawed relationship with the Earth itself.”–Ronald Wright, author of A Short History of Progress

“This book will make you want to cheer even as it raises your blood pressure. ...the inspiration [the Haida] offer to embattled peoples around the world may be their most potent legacy."–John Vaillant, author of The Golden Spruce

“... a book that will inspire the world.”
–Wade Davis, author of Light at the Edge of the World

"Guujaaw and the Haida Gwaii have inspired indigenous leadership worldwide. A compelling story. Summing Up: Recommended"Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries

About the Author

Ian Gill is president of Ecotrust Canada, a non-profit organization that combines conservation with community economic development. He is also an award-winning documentary reporter and the author of Hiking on the Edge and Haida Gwaii: Journeys through the Queen Charlotte Islands. Ian Gill lives in Vancouver, BC.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre (February 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553651863
• ISBN-13: 978-1553651864
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #819,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Howaa for this book!, November 24, 2011

By 

Kay (B.C. Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All That We Say Is Ours: Guujaaw and the Reawakening of the Haida Nation (Kindle Edition)

My daughter-in-law sent me this book to read. It's about the people of Haida Gwaii and their determination to preserve what's theirs. Haida Gwaii is sometimes referred to as Canada's Galapagos, famous for its wild beauty. It is also the ancient home of the Haida peoples. For years they have fought for what they rightfully own.
I started the book and finished it the next day. It was so interesting, I couldn't put it down.
It was also very informative and enlightening. I gained a lot of insight into Haida culture and what they are all fighting for.
I love nature & trees and the Haida saying "Yahguudang--respect for all living things" really resonated with me. I believe we should respect the land and everything on it that we are given.
When I read the quote made by Guujaaw (president of the council of the Haida Nation and advocate) that "every tree removed erases traces of the existence of our people" it made me sad and angry that so many trees have already been cut down and logged over the past years.
I hope that all the trees that the Haida people cherish will never be cut down again and will stand tall and proud as a testament to the Haida people.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haida Gwaii Yah'guudang provides a compelling vision for us all, November 16, 2009

By 

Steven Forth (Vancouver BC or Cambridge MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All That We Say Is Ours: Guujaaw and the Reawakening of the Haida Nation (Hardcover)

The story of Haida artist and political leader Guujaaw and the transformation that is occurring in the Haida Gwaii (or Queen Charlotte Islands as they are still known on some maps) is an important one and the more people that know of it the better. Guujaaw is one of a number of Haida who blend a deep knowledge of the land and surrounding sea with compelling art (Google Guujaaw images and go down to the 3rd and 4th pages for an idea of this) and political leadership and are leading a transformation of how the Haida see themselves and how others see them.
The story of how Guujaaw grew from being Giindajin (the Argumentative One) to Guujaaw (the Drummer) is fascinating, and the role that the physical work of rowing around the islands, working with wood and respect for the elders played is telling.
As you read this book, or even before, you may want to read the Haida Land Use Vision (HLUV) which is easily found on the web. Guujaaw is one of the authors of this document. It is worth careful study and rereading. It gives a sense of the approach to land use that we are all going to need to adopt if we are going to develop sustainable societies.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A compelling story, not a scholarly history, September 12, 2010

By 

Rolf Kleef - See all my reviews

This review is from: All That We Say Is Ours: Guujaaw and the Reawakening of the Haida Nation (Hardcover)

While spending a few weeks on Haida Gwaii, exploring Gwaii Haanas and Graham Island, reading this book added a lot of perspective on the recent political developments around Haida heritage and politics (up to mid 2008). It provided a detailed back story that wasn't told in visitor information booklets or conversations with people.

Ian Gill clearly is impressed by Guujaaw, and centers developments around him, but also writes in his acknowledgements that Guujaaw expressed dissatisfaction with the book (although he does not go into detail on why).

For someone unfamiliar with Canadian politics and media, it is sometimes a guess how events might have been perceived by the wider public in Canada (or North America). Gill provides a few links to other international events, but, for instance, it remains a mystery how SGang Gwaay ended up as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, the year the Haida also registered the boundaries of Haida Gwaii with the United Nations. And, as Gill is president of Ecotrust Canada, the often strong environmental angle might be more Gill's interpretation than the Haida's view.

The book is not (and, according to Gill, not intended as) a biography of Guujaaw nor a scholarly history. Instead, Gill's version of the reawakening of the Haida Nation is a compelling and inspiring story about identity and community leadership in a world that is slowly coming to terms with aboriginal rights and principles of environmental sustainability.