[1] It was named by George Henry Richards, captain of HMS Plumper, circa 1860, in honour of William Alfred Rombulow Pearse of the Royal Navy, who had been commander of HMS Alert.
It is separated from the mainland of Alaska by the 2 km (1.2 mi) wide Pearse Canal, which forms part of the Canada–United States border in this area.
The island is 56 km (35 mi) north of Prince Rupert, British Columbia.
It is now named Wil Milit as a result of the Nisga'a Treaty and is no longer an Indian Reserve, but is fee-simple.
This article about a location on the North Coast of British Columbia, Canada is a stub.