Haida-Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands) were still relatively
untouched by European exploration when, in the summer of 1878, a young
geologist name George Dawson arrived there on behalf of the Geological
Survey of Canada. Separated from the mainland by many kilometres of
water, the islands had retained a distinct ecological and cultural
envionment that reflected millennia of isolation. They were, at the
time that Dawson visited them, home to many rare species of plants and
animals as well as to the unique culture of the Haida people.

One of the most remarkable scientists and explorers of his time,
Dawson drew maps, collected fossil, plant and insect specimens, and
investigated the ethnology of the Native people. His interest in Native
culture is readily apparent in his personal reports and private
journals, and he collected artifacts and took photographs which are
well known for their early depictions of Haida villages and
architecture. Yet what is most amazing is that he accomplished all this
despite being physically challenged by the debilitating effects of a
childhood illness.

This edition of Dawson's 1878 exploration of the Queen Charlotte
Islands includes a reprint of Dawson's report, On the Haida
Indians of the Queen Charlotte Islands, as well as numerous
photographs taken by Dawson during his explorations. The text of the
1878 journal is meticulously annotated by editors Cole and Lockner, who
also provide an informative introduction which includes biographical,
scientific, and ethnological details.