Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii
Magical Beings of Haida Gwaii
Ice Woman
A woman of the glaciers
whose power
wove blankets of ice over the Earth.
She travelled to the islands at the edge
to catch a glimpse of Haida Gwaii.
She fell in love,
so she spared parts of the islands
from her icy embrace.
When the Earth warmed enough for human life, she surrendered
and travelled back, back, back,
to the place from where she came.
Haida Gwaii is an amazing place. It is an archipelago over fifty miles from the nearest coast and holds an ancient history and an untold wealth of flora and fauna. Within its history are magical beings, described both in the authors' introduction as well as in verse form. At the end of each description, the authors invite the reader to examine the illustrations closely to see if they can find specific items hidden within.
There are 10 magical beings described in the book, female, and vividly illustrated with both earth tones and rich colour. The authors have used the Haida language side by side with English at the start of each page and, specifically, to name the magical being. A remarkable and useful glossary is included at the back of the book. In addition, the authors included an acknowledgment of their elders, a thorough and insightful of their history and contributions.
Teachers and educators in grades K-7 will find this text useful for any exploration of the coastal peoples. Further, the book supplies poetic verse which teachers could use to guide students in their own written expressions of the west coast.
Dr. David Ward is a children's author, professor and elementary school principal in British Columbia.