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Introduction
The Haida live in one of the great temperate old-growth rain forests of Canada. "Old growth" means that the trees are hundreds of years old and have never been cut down. Most forests in Canada are second growth, having been cut down by loggers and replanted with young trees at some point. The territory the Haida inhabit consists of over 138 islands in British Columbia and is known as the Queen Charlotte Islands. The Haida refer to their lands as Haida Gwaii, "the people's islands." In the past, the Haida inhabited areas that went all the way to Alaska. Over the years, the Haida have been involved in defending some of the most beautiful rain forests in the world from clear-cutting. Clear-cutting is when logging companies cut everything in a forest down at one time to get the trees they want to use. The area the Haida have been trying to protect is known as Gwaii Haanas, or South Moresby. The Haida are also known as great carvers. Today Haida carvers are known around the world.
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