Raven's Cry [B1033]

1992 UW PB reprint of the the 1966 PNW classic, in excellent condition. Raven's Cry is a Northwest Coast classic -- a moving and powerful work that is a fictionalized retelling of the near destruction of the Haida nation. The Haida are a proud and cultured people, whose home is Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands) off the coast of northern British Columbia. Until the first Europeans arrived in 1775, the Haida were the lords of the coast. The meeting of cultures was a fateful one: the Europeans had the advantages of firearms and immunity to their own deadly diseases. In just 150 years, the Haida and their culture were pushed to the edge of extinction. Christie Harris recreates this tale of tragedy and the ultimate survival of native spirit with dignity, beauty and ethnographic accuracy.

From recent-ish Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "This is the most captivating piece of literature that I have come across as far as Haida history is concerned. Harris borrows from historical accounts that the Haida people have had with missionaries, fur traders, and neighboring tribes. She weaves aspects of our complex social structure, the genealogical line of Edenshaw and their contributions to Haida artistry. Every Haida or person interested in Haida culture should read this book."; "Christie Harris mentions in her introduction that the achievements of European explorers and exploits of subsequent traders are well known and form part of lore, but this, her book is meant to show how it all 'looked from the other side'. Without polemics she gives readers a glimpse into the world of Haida families and kinship, their honor system and relations with other tribes, including the 'Iron Men' with their 'Flying Canoes', then about the wrenching changes they had to experience as told in their own voices. Where she could perhaps have added more depth from an emotional perspective, was in the chapter on the smallpox epidemic, which, uncharacteristically, is closer to just a narrative of the facts. Apart from that, she succeeds well in painting a vivid picture of 150 years of tumultuous Haida history."; "This is an incredibly important part of Pacific Northwest history, and I'm glad I read it."