Robert Davidson is a leading light in the so-called Haida renaissance—the revival of the art of the indigenous people who have long inhabited the archipelago called Haida Gwaii (also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) that lies off the coast of British Columbia. Davidson works in various modes—painting, printmaking, jewelry, sculpture—and all are well represented in Charles Wilkinson’s informative documentary.
His most imposing pieces, however, are the wooden masks and totem poles he painstakingly carves, and Wilkinson provides engrossing footage of him at work, carefully scraping bits of bark away and adding blazing colors to realize his vision, as well as the impression the finished products make on display. Haida Modern is also a biography, grounded on interviews with Davidson, who offers recollections on his life that are accompanied by archival material—photographs and footage of the traditional tribal ceremony, the potlatch, he has been instrumental in reviving.
Davidson eloquently—and with a deft sense of humor—describes the process of development that began with his father’s gift of a carving set at age thirteen and continued into his study of the Haida art of the past and his efforts to recreate it in the present. Wilkinson also shows how Davidson’s recovery of his people's artistic heritage has inspired others to follow his lead; he includes interviews with other Haida artists—including Davidson’s brother Reg and son Ben (who died last summer)—as well as students whom he mentors and advises. Haida scholars like Robert’s daughter Sara also serve as commentators. All testify to his central role in the recovery of the Haida people's cultural traditions.
The film also demonstrates how Davidson’s understanding of culture in the broadest sense led him to embrace the Haida people’s reverence for nature—a fact that leads to the second element in the subtitle, his activism in the cause of preservation and protection of the environment. Davidson has been a vocal proponent in movements to pressure the Canadian government to end indiscriminate logging and alter policies in response to climate change which, he passionately argues, threatens not just his people but everyone.
Once again, Wilkinson includes footage showing Davidson not only voicing his views on these matters but participating in demonstrations to promote reform. The film also touches movingly on the residential schools that were designed to suppress the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples that those like Davidson are now working so assiduously to reclaim.
Wilkinson’s film compellingly conveys the scope of Davidson’s contribution to the recovery of Haida culture while presenting an engaging portrait of the man himself. Recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P.