Hi. 

This is a pre-departure postcard from edge of the world, setting for The Haida Gwaii Lesson, the Inkshares book you are supporting, and to where I am headed tomorrow. 

I will stay on the islands (there are 158 of them) indefinitely; for as long as it takes to gather what I need from the amazing and exceptional Haida people about their long, determined and successful struggle for land title and sovereignty. 

Their homeland is remote and communications uncertain, so you may not hear from me again until I'm home, probably some time before summer ends, hopefully full of insight and inspiration which I will share with you then.

Thanks again for your support.

Mark Dowie

Yes, this time it's real. We're over the goal line. And  when I say "we" I mean you and the 317 other friends and colleagues who are supporting this project. So congratulate yourselves, not me. I just happened to be blessed with a list of generous people.

I have begun work in earnest on the book, a daunting task given the fact that I'm really trying to communicate to almost 4,000 vey diverse communities situated in over 90 countries, living under as many different governments and legal systems. In late May I'll head up the Haida Gwaii for a few weeks of on-site research. I'll send you updates, insights and other news from there.

If you have any insights, advice, suggestions or questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

Thanks you again so much. It really feels so much better to be working on something that is supported by a few hundred generous friends than by one big corporate publishing house.  

With deepest gratitude,

Mark Dowie

Dear Friends and Readers, 

 You recently received a message from Inkshares that implied, although did not say, that I had made my funding goal for the Haida Gwaii Lesson. Not true, unfortunately. It was the word “winner”, used twice in the message, that prompted many you to write and congratulate me prematurely. 

 Inkshares, like other contemporary startups, is run by energetic young techies whose idea of market research is to test things in real time. The whirlwind, state-of-art, pace of the company is in truth what drew me to them. I know I am living on the edge by working with them, but I am intrigued enough by their venture to withstand some inter-generational frustration. They keep me young. 

 With 30 days left in the campaign I still need $8,000 to meet my goal. Those will, I know, be the hardest dollars to raise, and will only come if people spread the word. So if you really want to read this book, or send it to a struggling native leader somewhere in the world, shout it out to your friends and colleagues. 

Thanks again so much for what you have already done. 

 Highest Regards, 

 Mark