Lyell Island
Encyclopedia
Lyell Island, known also in the Haida language
as Athili Gwaii, is a large island in the Queen Charlotte Islands
archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia
, Canada
. The island is a part of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
and had been the focus of anti-logging demonstrations that led to the park's creation. Among those arrested by the RCMP on Lyell Island was Svend Robinson
, MP, at which time the Haida people conferred on him one of his bestowed indigenous names, meaning "White Swan". Lyell Island was the focus of protests as much of its forests had been a mortuary grove for those who died in the smallpox epidemics that ravaged the archipelago in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
The Queen Charlotte Islands are separated from the British Columbia mainland to the east by Hecate Strait
. Vancouver Island
lies to the south, across Queen Charlotte Sound, while the U.S. state
of Alaska
is to the north, across the disputed Dixon Entrance
.
Haida language
The Haida language is the language of the Haida people. It contains seven vowels and well over 30 consonants.-History:The first documented contact between the Haida and Europeans was in 1774, on Juan Pérez's exploratory voyage. At this time Haidas inhabited the Queen Charlotte Islands, Dall...
as Athili Gwaii, is a large island in the Queen Charlotte Islands
Queen Charlotte Islands
Haida Gwaii , formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, is an archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Haida Gwaii consists of two main islands: Graham Island in the north, and Moresby Island in the south, along with approximately 150 smaller islands with a total landmass of...
archipelago on the North Coast of British Columbia
British Columbia Coast
The British Columbia Coast or BC Coast is Canada's western continental coastline on the Pacific Ocean. The usage is synonymous with the term West Coast of Canada....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The island is a part of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
Ninstints or SGang Gwaay Llnaagay on Anthony Island, in located in the southernmost part of Gwaii Haanas, just west of Kunghit Island, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981...
and had been the focus of anti-logging demonstrations that led to the park's creation. Among those arrested by the RCMP on Lyell Island was Svend Robinson
Svend Robinson
Svend Robinson is a former Canadian politician. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 2004, representing the suburban Vancouver-area constituency of Burnaby for the New Democratic Party...
, MP, at which time the Haida people conferred on him one of his bestowed indigenous names, meaning "White Swan". Lyell Island was the focus of protests as much of its forests had been a mortuary grove for those who died in the smallpox epidemics that ravaged the archipelago in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
The Queen Charlotte Islands are separated from the British Columbia mainland to the east by Hecate Strait
Hecate Strait
Hecate Strait is a wide but shallow strait between the Haida Gwaii and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It merges with Queen Charlotte Sound to the south and Dixon Entrance to the north...
. Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
lies to the south, across Queen Charlotte Sound, while the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
is to the north, across the disputed Dixon Entrance
Dixon Entrance
The Dixon Entrance is a strait about long and wide in the Pacific Ocean at the International Boundary between the U.S. state of Alaska and the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was named by Joseph Banks for Captain George Dixon, a Royal Navy officer, fur trader, and explorer, who...
.