“Isolation has been the great saving grace of this remarkable place, but today isolation could be its doom.” – Wade Davis on Northern Canada
You may not have heard the name Wade Davis before, but anybody who considers themselves an advocate for diversity should be aware of his work. Davis studied Anthropology and Botany at Harvard University and has been celebrated as a speaker and advocate for global indigenous cultures, people and languages.
Although recognized for his global initiative, Davis discusses a location that hits close to home in the video below. Davis discusses a valley in northern British Columbia known to B.C. first nations as the Sacred Headwaters, which is at risk of being ruined. The valley is home to three of Canada’s largest salmon rivers, the Stikine, the Skeena and the Nass.
When the video was recorded in February 2012 the area was in danger of being destroyed by industrial expansion. Citing the Embridge pipeline as one of the numerous (and more publicized) threats to the area, Davis highlights the importance of preserving the beautiful vast scenery of northern Canada.
The video may not be directly related to our personal mandate of housing, but certainly highlights many current issues within all sectors of design. The beautiful, inspirational images of the untouched northwest landscape alone should raise questions of how we inhabit our country, while the story of Davis’ personal experiences are inspiring enough to question our impact on the environment.
Read more about Wade Davis’ work here.
Photo: Courtesy of www.daviswade.com
Researched and Written by Spencer Robert Jeffries
Student of Interior Design – Ryerson University