The Haida people ceremonially gave back a gift they didn’t want to Premier Gordon Campbell Thursday – the name Queen Charlotte Islands.
At a ceremony at the Old Masset Hall, Campbell accepted the returned name in a traditional Haida bentwood box. The islands will now be known as Haida Gwaii, its traditional name for more than 10,000 years.
"Haida Gwaii is not only where we are, this is who we are," said Guujaaw, president of the Haida Nation.
"We received our life and our culture from Haida Gwaii. Over countless generations, our bodies are reclaimed by the lands we call Haida Gwaii.
"While we cannot unwind history, we will leave colonialism behind us, as we have laid the foundation for a respectful relationship into the future."
The provincial government passed a bill on June 3 called the Haida Gwaii Reconciliation Act, agreeing to jettison the name Queen Charlotte Islands.
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