“A thrilling narrative of personal experiences and adventures in the wonderful gold regions of Alaska and the Klondike, with observations of travel and exploration along the Yukon. Portraying the dangers, hardships, and privations of a gold-seeker's life; with a faithful description of life and scenes in gold mines and camps. Including full and authentic information of the countries described, their underground treasures, how to find them, etc.”This classic first-hand account conta...

Black round rock faces escape from months of imprisonment below the ice and snow. Heat radiates back from the smooth rock “mountain” that provides the backdrop for the tiny village of Coppermine which is located on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Small hands escape from mittens and crowd together on the warm dry surface of the rock, giggles escape from childish lips. Into winter weary palms the heat from the black stone creeps.The warmth carries with it memories of days without iti...

“The Northwest Passage Exploration Anthology”, features the first-hand personal accounts of explorers: Roald Amundsen, Robert McClure, John Rae, John Franklin, Thomas Simpson, Peter Warren Dease, William Edward Parry and Richard Hakluyt. This book charts the full history of the exploration of the legendary “Northwest Passage” – the sea-lane around the frozen Northern shore of the North American Continent.   Discovering this passage became an obsession for generations of explor...

**THIS STOREY IS RATED PG NR (PERSONAL GUIDANCE, NORTHERN REALITY) THIS IS ABOUT KILLING FOR FOOD**Winter is a long drawn out affair in the Arctic. The men stick gamble and play cards, they laugh at each other and drink thick, black, sweet tea well into the deep dark of the night. Everyone hopes that old man winter leaves before the firewood runs out. Dogs are used to haul wood and there is no chain saw. Firewood is cut with an axe and Swede saw; this takes time an...

In 1845, Sir John Franklin set off from England to locate and chart the elusive Northwest Passage. He and his crew of 129 men never returned.Over the following decade, forty expeditions were launched in an effort to establish the fate of the missing men. But it wasn't until 1854 that traces of their demise were discovered along the western shore of King William Island.However, without proof, Franklin's wife, Lady Jane, refused to believe that her husband was dead. And so, i...

In Canada, the donut is often thought of as the unofficial national food. Donuts are sold at every intersection and rest stop, celebrated in song and story as symbols of Canadian identity, and one chain in particular, Tim Horton's, has become a veritable icon with over 2500 shops across the country. But there is more to the donut than these and other expressions of 'snackfood patriotism' would suggest. In this study, Steve Penfold puts the humble donut in its historical context, examining ...

We are going to see Nan and Grandpa for Christmas! We are flying outside, I can hardly believe it! I have not seen my grandparents for three years. These are my paternal grandparents they live in Lethbridge Alberta, Canada; we live in Fort Good Hope N.W.T., also in Canada. It is 1,500 miles to travel to Lethbridge for the holidays. Our trip will take us from Good Hope by Otter (plane) to Yellowknife, N.W.T; we will overnight in Yellowknife and then fly by DC6 to Edmonton. In Edmont...

From the village of Fort Norman on the McKenzie River we are taking the junction at the Bear River on our quest to reach Fort Franklin on Great Bear Lake. It is about 100 miles (it’s the old days) by canoe to Franklin. This little hamlet is part of my father’s jurisdiction as Indian Agent. He has to visit Fort Franklin every few months. We are going to bring the church organ from Fort Franklin back to Fort Norman by canoe as well.Two canoes are needed for this trip. In one canoe is...

My name is Dawn Kostelnik and I am the White Girl, Mola ‘tu ‘we’/twa. In the 1960’s my father was hired by the Canadian Government to work as an Indian Agent in the tiny native village of Fort Norman, NWT. My father is known by the people on the river as Somba ralla; the moneylender. My life is changed forever. The Dhe Cho becomes my home, the Mighty Mackenzie River in Canada’s Arctic. This is the home of the Dene, a Native people of the River. I stand on the shores of a far-away world and...

Something is wrong. It feels like I have just crawled into bed and closed my eyes after a long night of babysitting, a loud scream is piercing my ears and my brain is commanding that I pry open my heavy, heavy eye lids. I am having the most amazing dream of flashing sunlight dancing off of calm blue water, I am back at Pauline and Andres Lacoue’s fish camp at the Ramparts just south of Fort Good Hope, an eagle spirals down the cliffs and starts to scream and scream and scream…Somet...

In the barren lands of Canada far north of the Arctic circle, summers are quick and cool, mere short interruptions in the true business of the polar regions, winter. Winters there can be dangerous with temperatures that plunge to awesome depths during the long, lonely hours of Arctic darkness. Powerful blizzards shriek across the land for days at a time, causing all animal life to seek shelter from the cutting blast, essentially putting a temporary end to normal activities of life, such as...

Out with the old and slide into the new. My two brothers and I stand shivering at the school door. Winds howl off of the snow swept rock that stands guard above the school. Willy wags wing gusts of powered snow into the corner that we huddle. Frigid fingers tear and tug at our faces and pull on our clothing. Powdered snow clings to our stroud Indian “parkies.” The school bell rings but the door refuses to budge. One more pull on the door, our very best attempt, still no movement. W...