[ISL] On the visit of William and Kate to Haida Gwaii

[rfmcdonald]

The National Post carries the article "Tradition and politics mix as William and Kate paddle to Haida Gwaii by war canoe", from the Canadian Press' Dirk Meissner.

Prince William and Kate arrived at a small village off the coast of B.C. on Friday in a replica 15-metre Haida war canoe, taken to the remote island by paddlers wearing T-shirts opposing liquefied natural gas development.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were welcomed to the Haida heritage hall by more than a dozen chiefs and elders.

Young dancers in brightly coloured and beaded costumes performed a dance to honour the survivors of Canada’s residential schools and their personal journeys.

They also did a dance that highlighted the many animals that provide spiritual, cultural and life-sustaining sustenance to the Haida. One dancer wore a full bear costume and rose up and roared like a bear during the dance.

“We are survivors,” Haida Nation spokesman Peter Lantin told William and Kate. “We owe our existence to these islands and these waters. We know that good will come from your visit to Haida Gwaii because you bring hope.”

Inside the hall, William spoke in the Haida language and remarked on the long relationship between the Crown and the Haida.