Kiidk'yaas facts for kids
Kiidk'yaas (pronounced keed-kyahs), also known as the Golden Spruce, was a very special Sitka spruce tree. It grew on the banks of the Yakoun River on the Haida Gwaii islands in British Columbia, Canada. This tree was unique because it had a rare genetic change that made its needles golden instead of the usual green. The Haida people considered Kiidk'yaas to be a sacred tree.
Sadly, Kiidk'yaas was cut down in January 1997 by a man named Grant Hadwin. He did this as a way to protest against the logging industry.
The story of Kiidk'yaas and its felling is told in John Vaillant's 2005 book, The Golden Spruce.
The Golden Spruce in Haida Stories
Kiidk'yaas is an important part of the traditional stories of the Haida people.
One Haida story tells about a young boy who did not respect nature. Because of this, a terrible storm hit his village. Only the boy and his grandfather survived the storm. As they ran from the village, the grandfather told the boy not to look back. But the boy did not listen and looked behind him. Right away, he turned into the Golden Spruce where he stood.
Why the Golden Spruce Was Cut Down
In January 1997, a 47-year-old man named Grant Hadwin traveled to Haida Gwaii. He bought a chainsaw and other tools for cutting trees. Early on the morning of January 20, 1997, he swam across the very cold Yakoun River. He then made several deep cuts into Kiidk'yaas. These cuts were made so the tree would still stand but be very weak. This way, the next strong winds would knock it over. The tree fell two days later.
After cutting the tree, Hadwin left the islands and went to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. He sent a fax to the media and the Haida nation. In the fax, he said he was responsible for cutting down the tree. He explained that he was angry about how forests were being managed. People across Canada were very upset by what happened, and the news was widely reported. Hadwin was later asked to return to Haida Gwaii for a legal process and was released temporarily.
Hadwin planned to travel to his legal date by kayak across the Hecate Strait. This body of water is known for being stormy and rough, especially in winter. He left Prince Rupert in February 1997 but never arrived. What people believe was Hadwin's broken kayak and some of his belongings were found on Mary Island in June 1997. What happened to him after that is still unknown.
What Happened After the Tree Fell
Years before the Golden Spruce was cut down, in 1977, some plant scientists from the University of British Columbia (UBC) visited Haida Gwaii. They took small pieces, called cuttings, from Kiidk'yaas. These cuttings were then joined onto regular Sitka spruce trees, a process called grafting. This created two new golden saplings (young trees). These young trees were grown at the UBC Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research.
When the scientists heard that Kiidk'yaas had been cut down in 1997, they offered one of their two young golden trees to replace it. However, this sapling died while it was being stored before it could be moved to Haida Gwaii. The second sapling is still alive and growing at UBC.
After Kiidk'yaas was cut down, people tried to grow 80 more cuttings from the fallen tree. They did this with permission from the Haida people. The goal was to make sure more golden spruce trees could grow.
Some of the wood from the fallen tree was used for a very special project. A guitar maker from Nova Scotia named George Rizsanyi and a broadcaster named Jowi Taylor used it to create a guitar called Six String Nation. This guitar is dedicated to telling the story of Canadian history. Other parts of the guitar include wood from famous items, like a canoe paddle that belonged to former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and a hockey stick used by Paul Henderson.
