Northwest Territories Books

This is one of the best books Dick North has written. It is a true story of Albert Johnson's survival and the will to live. As well, it turned out to be the biggest man hunt in the history of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. You are told the history of Albert Johnson (if that was his real name ) where he came from, what he did for work and how good a shot he was. You are also told of the job the Mounties had to do under some very severe conditions. Keeping the peace in the back country was no easy task. Mr. North has done his homework,to get his story and facts correct.He brings in experts on area's of question and disputes some of the rumors that others have said about this case. He writes with a passion. I could tell he enjoyed working on this story.He will keep you on the edge of your seat once the hunt begins. I always looked forward to reading several chapters before I went to bed. What a book. Highly recommended.

Could NOT put the book down. Was on vacation up IN the Yukon riding on the Yukon Queen DOWN the Yukon River. And probably missed lots of great scenery because was reading this book. Read it in less than 24 hours. What a great writing style and format!!
One, after reading it, should then see the Charles Bronson/Lee Marvin move about it... The book of course gives alot more details and background but the movie is great too.
Reading the book makes you want to go out and buy a bowie knife and build a cabin!

It was a bitterly cold December 26, 1931 when four members of the RCMP approached the small cabin of a mysterious trapper named Albert Johnson. There sole intent was to question Johnson about a complaint made by a neighbouring trapper concerning traps that had been tampered with. But without a word, the trapper fired upon the constables, injuring one. Shortly thereafter, Johnson had disappeared into the bush, thus instigating an epic manhunt that would last close to fifty days, and span some 150 miles.

Forty years later, author Dick North set out to document the story, and, more importantly, try and cast light on the identity of the mysterious Albert Johnson. Relying heavily on eye-witness accounts, North pieces together an interesting, sometimes rivetting story. But admittedly, there are limitations, and in the end, much is left to conjecture.

North concludes that Albert Johnson was more than likely a man who also went by the name of Arthur Nelson, and who for seven years prior to his death supposedly trapped and prospected in northern Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Alway quiet and "non-commital" this Arthur Nelson came and went mysteriously, and exhibited traits quite similar to that of the Mad Trapper.

Although disdained by some--especially women, around whom he evidently was extremely shy--many were understanding of his peculiar loner idiocincricies. But, provided that this Arthur Nelson is in fact Albert Johnson--which appears to be fairly likely--he apparently grew increasingly paranoid and suspicious of people. All of which led people to believe that he was hiding something. And as is always the case, there is much speculation as to what it was.

The author addresses this at the end of the book, but given that there is little evidence to work with, it's left to the reader to decide: was he a murderer, illegal immigrant, or simply a misanthrope caught up in events beyond his control?

All and all, a very interesting book and thrilling read, but in order to get the fully story--supposedly--of who the Mad Trapper was, one has to read Trackdown, which was published in 1989.

Trackdown is the result of twenty-odd years of North's obsessive research into the identity of the Mad Trapper. In the first part of the book, North addresses several theories of who the Mad Trapper could have been, but in each case he manages to uncover evidence that dismiss these individuals.

The turning point in his hunt comes when he was contacted by the North Dakota State Historical Society. As it turns out, there is a small article in a county history stating that the Mad Trapper may have in fact been a man by the name of Johnny Johnson.

Born Johan Konrad Jonsen in Norway in 1898, Johnson had emigrated to the USA with his parent at the age of six. Life in Dakota was a constant struggle and brought the family little gain, so at a young age Johnson reverted to crime. This resulted in several prison sentences before finally in 1923 he disappeared, presumably heading north into Canada.

Initially, I was very skeptical about this theory; to me, there was little resemblence between the three mug shots of Johnny Johnson, the 1930 Ross River photo showing Arthur Nelson and the pictures of the dead Mad Trapper. But as I read on, North did put together a compelling argument, and the more I read and the more I studied the pictures, the more plausable it all became. Interestingly, the Johnson family had in fact been in contact with the RCMP several years after the incident; Johnson's mother, having seen the picture of the Mad Trapper, was certain that he was her son. But the RCMP dismissed this claim, as it did all other such claims, leaving the mystery unsolved.

While North's argument seems plausable, I was still left with a nagging sense of doubt. While his evidence is compelling, it is far from conclusive and could quite easily be picked apart by someone with the time and resources to do so. One way to solve the matter would of course be to exhume the Mad Trapper and take DNA samples and conduct other forensic tests. North, believing that the body would still be in reasonably good shape, attempted to do this; but these efforts were stymied by the locals.

So although North presents a compelling argument for Johnny Johnson being the Mad Trapper, the case is not closed. The myth lives on.

Thes is a very interesting story.It is well written and well researched.It was also done by Rudy Weibe and Thomas P.Kelley.
Kelley also wrote "the Black Donnellys".His style was much different;more along the lines of a Pulp fiction writer;where the story is essentially the same,but greatly embellished with fictional conversation,descriptions of events and details whenever needed to tell the story as excitedly as possible.
In Johnson's Case, he had every right to refuse entry to someone without a warrant.It may not have been smart on his part,and no doubt really angered the law.So on the return visit the law was going to get him regardless;blow him away if necessary (they were armed and equipped with explosives to do it).What Johnson's mental state was ,who knows,except those who came to get him;and they tried.Don't forget they really had nothing on him at this point except their pride was damaged because of his resisting. What really happened ;there,s only their side of the story. At this point Johnson was in a no win situation and the law knew it,and so did he.I remind you again,the law was in total control when they set off this chain of events.
In the case of the Black Donnellys ;they opened their door to the demand of a constable and posse and 4 defenseless people were murdered and their home burned down on top of them.
These are two very sad stories in Canadian history ;neither one resolved,but both deserve to be known.
Without books like these, stories like these, would be swept under the carpet.
This is real history;not the stuff about trappers exploring a river in a canoe and asking students what they were called.
This brings to mind what a War Correspondant once said;
"Don't believe a politician or anyone in uniform."

Awesome read, very well written with plenty of facts to back up Mr. North's work. You appreciate his passion for a definitive answer to who A.Johnson truely was. It is sad that the Canadian's refused to solve the mystery. Nevertheless, I am one of the believer's John Johnson was the Mad Trapper.

The Oxford educated author, Raymond Patterson, chucked his staid life as London banker for the extreme conditions of the 1920's Canadian far north, traversing barely navigable rivers and wintering in 40 below conditions far from the nearest supply post.
The accounts are highly colourful, occasionally humorous and truly amazing as real life survivor accounts. Unlike some modern adventure story-telling, the author thankfully omits hyping the risks and achievements, avoids ominous foreshadowing and such devices, and relates his account in a modest but richly descriptive style.

"Dangerous River" is one of the finest Far North adventures ever written. R. M. Patterson and his partner Gordon Matthews were the last of a breed of men who tackled the Far North with nothing but stamina, courage, and consummate skill with rifle, pack and canoe. Trapping and searching for gold in the legendary South Nahanni River country in the 1920's, Patterson describes their adventures in language that makes the reader yearn to see one the premier rivers of the world. Patterson's style is laced with wonderfully dry British humor as well as a poet's skill in describing the breathtaking landscapes. You feel as though you're right beside him throughout his adventures and hungering to go there yourself. You can't ask more a writer and his book than that!

I purchased Dangerous River: Adventure on the Nahanni to use as research for my latest release, The River, an exciting and terrifying techno-thriller that takes place on the Nahanni River.

I found Dangerous River to be invaluable to me, and after reading it, I yearn to travel to the Nahanni River to see this wonderful part of Canada.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a true Canadian adventure. The photos take you back to a simpler life, and the author's humor and attention to detail are entertaining.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif, author of The River

Patterson makes a 200 mile snowshoe trek in 50 below weather to pick up the mail seem like slightly unusual walk to the post office!

This tale of wilderness adventure is set in the unexplored region of the South Nahanni river valley in the Nortwest Territories, Canada. It tells of unexplained deaths (the reason it was called Dead-Man's Valley), and the survival tactics and techniques of explorers during the gold-rush days of the area. Patterson spins the tale in a way which makes you feel the icy cold winters and the lavish and wildlife filled summers. His writings are non-fictional, and he includes maps and photographs taken while he was there. It is exciting, and laden with danger about the rapids, ice-flows, and Indian legends. I highly recommend it to anyone with a love of the outdoors, adventure, or wilderness history!

I couldn't believe all the information that this book contained. It told us of all the great spots in Banff and we didn't miss a one. This was our first time there, but because this book was top notch, we're planning our return within a few months. I would highly recommend this book to anyone traveling in the Canadian Rockies. It's better than the best!!

This was an excellent guide for family travel. It provided first rate information on dinosaur adventures in the Red Deer region to Waterton NP to the Canadian Rockies including Banff and Jasper and all points in between. Includes tidbits of local history and written in such a user friendly manner that by the middle of our three week adventure we were fondly refering to it as Mr. Moon, as in, what does Mr. Moon reccommend for dinner. If you are traveling to the Canadian Rockies, the British Colombia guide by this publisher makes an indispensable companion to the Alberta Guide.

This book was indispensible for my recent travels through Alberta. It contains detailed descriptions of all the best places to go, including some great small town festivals that I would of otherwise missed. The book also has many hikes included, mostly in the Canadian Rockies. I budgeted to spend around $50 a night for motels, and found that this book described many good choices in this price range but also includes campgrounds and more expensive places. Overall, I found it to be very current, not only for restaurants and the like but also coverage of issues such as overcrowding in the national parks, which I found an interesting addition.

This handbook was packed with great spots to stop. There were many places listed that the AAA guidebook missed, and all were fantastic. The book was sectioned well, breaking up different areas into day-trips. If you are going to Alberta for the first time, this is a MUST BUY!

This book and its companion volume to British Columbia are undoubtedly the best travel books I have ever used. I just returned from a two-month trip that took me to the Calgary Stampede, through the Rockies, up to Yellowknife and through British Columbia to Vancouver. Alberta is an amazing place to visit and by buying this book I was able to enjoy it all the more. The author has obviously done his homework and describes the region in a colorful style but also with an incredible amount of detail. By using these books I managed to plan my trip before leaving home, even down to where I wanted to eat. The other guide I had with me was rarely used. I also found local information centers sending me along well worn tourist paths, and while this book covers all of that side of Alberta it also led me away from the masses to areas of equal beauty. I highly recommend this book to anyone planning a trip to Canada!!

"The Lesser Blessed is a coming of age tale told in photo-booth snapshots and raunchy one-liners. It is poetry and prose and locker-room boasts and puking-your-guts-out shame. It's sex that transcends tragedy. It is loud and rude and high. It's a shaker."
--John Burns for the Georgia Straight (Nov. 28, 1996)

"[Van Camp] does not stumble over nostalgia or romanticism or careless diction. He loves words-his own, his Nation's, rock and roll's-and slips perfect ones into atrociously profane and perfect sentences..."
--Lorna Jackson for The Malahat Review (Summer, 1997)

The Lesser Blessed. Richard Van Camp. Douglas & McIntyre, 1996. Reviewed by Dr. Geary Hobson.

In virtually every generation, in the realm of literary activity, there comes along a
book that, by the very nature of its subject matter and place and the sheer exuberance
of its utterances reverberant of the place and people depicted, introduces not only a
little-known terra firma and people, but sometimes becomes the definer of that era in
which it is produced. Not surprisingly, these books are usually the products of younger
writers. Wordsworth's and Coleridge's Lyrical Ballads, Jane Austin's novels, the
work of the Brontes, Stephen Crane's stories, Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
ushering in the Lost Generation, Kerouac's Beat Generation introduced in On The
Road, Salinger's Holden Caulfield wandering through Catcher in the Rye, the jaded
"me"-obsessed teens in Bret Easton Ellis's Less Than Zero, Native American
sensibilities in Momaday's House Made of Dawn, and a generation later, Alexie's The
Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven-all these books and writers burst forth
in such dynamic ways that not only defined their respective eras, shook the accepted
literary standards of their day, but expanded and extended the English lan-{78}guage,
while at the same time occasioning the debut of sometimes extraordinary new literary
talents.
In my view, Richard Van Camp, a Dogrib Nation writer born in Fort Smith,
Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1971, is accomplishing virtually the same thing in his
first novel, The Lesser Blessed, as Hemingway, Kerouac, et al. did in their times.
Given the smaller spectrum of Native American literature within (or without, as many
Native writers would have it) the larger context of American, British, and Canadian
literatures, Van Camp's novel introduces a new terrain and language that nonetheless
has roots in the fiction of Momaday, Leslie Marmon Silko, and James Welch, while
simultaneously exploring the same subject matter as the contemporary stories of
Sherman Alexie, Adrian Louis, and Lorne Simon.
In The Lesser Blessed, a Dogrib Indian teenager named Larry Sole narrates his
story and thus invites the reader into the little-examined world of contemporary Dogrib
(a part of the Dene, or Athabaskan-based, tribal people of the Northwest Territories
of Canada). More specifically, Larry embodies a modern Indian teenager's view of his
particular tribal culture and of the Indian world in general, acknowledging them and
appreciating them along with his fondness for Iron Maiden, Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy
Osbourne, occasional pot-smoking, getting "hamburgered" ("Raven" talk--Larry's own
take on his tribe's trickster figure's language for "drunk," Larry tells us), and trying to
get closer to his own particular Juliet (and, incidentally, the girl's actual name in the
novel) whom Larry remembers as "the first girl in grade school to swear at a teacher."
A North of 60 Romeo, Larry is in love with Juliet while she throws her sexual favors
to Johnny Beck, Larry's best friend, who is scornfully casual to her attentions.
Van Camp's method of characterization is strikingly vivid. At seventeen, and tall
and skinny, Larry describes himself as having "spaghetti arms and daddy longlegs,"
and at one point he visualizes himself as a Dogrib hunter of an earlier time as he
watches Juliet, "seen in his sights as a white caribou, pure, but (whom) he let go out of
respect and awe." Larry and his mother, a night school student at Arctic College, live
in Fort Simmer, a north-of-the-60th parallel town near the border of Alberta. Jed, his
mother's on-again, off-again boy friend, is a traditional Slavey Indian trapper whom
Larry identifies as a father-figure, and who promises to take Larry out "on the land" for
a season of trapping. Larry is amenable to this, but he is still comfortable in his
high-school world of hanging out with Johnny, lusting after Juliet from afar, {79} trying
his best to avoid the numerous school-ground fist-fights, and playing his tape deck
"cranked up" with AC/DC, Judas priest, and Iron Maiden.
Slowly, through a number of finely crafted, fragmented flashbacks, the reader
learns of Larry's past, in which his biological father physically and sexually abused him
and later died in a cabin fire that Larry himself may have started. Like Welch's
emotionally frozen nameless narrator of Winter in the Blood, Larry gradually awakens
to love and affection--after he surprisingly (to himself most of all) consummates his
sexual desire for Juliet in a brief relationship--and learns to retrust his mother and to
give himself fully in a father-son relationship with Jed. The Lesser Blessed, incredibly
funny and wise-cracking in many places, is nonetheless filled with the genuine
ingredients of a well-wrought tragi-comedy.
The Lesser Blessed is also the harbinger of a sophisticated Arctic literature, and
of a bold new direction for contemporary Native literature. And while it is perhaps not
the first novel to come out of the Canadian Northwest Territories, it is certainly the first
work of fiction by a Native writer from that vast region. By all accounts, it is a
masterful achievement.

Dr. Geary Hobson

Richard Van Camp¡¦s novel "The Lesser Blessed" is rooted firmly in the tradition of the coming-of-age, Bildungsroman genre that appeals to all who have survived the teen years and lived to tell about it. Or in this case, lived to read about it.

Writing from the sensibility of a Canadian aboriginal artist, a First Nation author speaking from within the experience of life as a member of the Dogrib nation, Van Camp imbues his novel with a definite sense of the indigenous culture situated within the history of Canadian social colonization. His 16-year-old narrator and primary protagonist, Larry, is comfortable with the First Nation culture passed down to him by his family. However, Larry truly finds himself coming alive in the stories told by his mother¡¦s firefighter boyfriend, Jed.

As the novel progresses and we discover the dark ¡§devil¡¦s kiss¡¨ secret that weighs so heavily upon Larry¡¦s heart, it becomes increasingly clear that Jed the firefighter is there to save Larry from burning in the flames of guilt and shame. The quenching waters that he offers the tormented teen are his stories, histories and mythologies. Indeed, the chilling influence of Adrian C. Louis and Leslie Marmon Silko is recognizable in this novel at its darkest moments. This is certainly not a childhood story of nostalgia and happiness, but neither is it a tale overwhelmed by sadness and self-destruction.

The sharing of stories helps Larry survive the challenges thrown at him as a North American teenager: experimenting with drugs; dealing with bullies; controlling sexual urges; getting into fights; and making friends. Scattered across the pages of almost every chapter is the music of the period, as Larry also draws strength from his favorite band, Iron Maiden. Band names and song titles are peppered throughout the novel. Most post-teenaged readers will probably smile as they remember how very important music was to them as teens.

Especially satisfying is Van Camp¡¦s playfulness with language and his creation of a jargon that is both pleasant and jarring, such as the hyper-speech that Larry calls ¡§Raven talk.¡¨ The dialogue is often fast and funny, although the humor tends toward the darker edges of comedy. Most intriguing are the flashes of memory offered up in dreamlike and psychedelic patterns. Watch out for those blue monkeys.

If the novel has any failing, it is the brevity of the work. The story takes place in the space of a few weeks, and though ¡§manhood¡¨ or ¡§adulthood¡¨ remain far from Larry¡¦s grasp, he revels in his life experiences and fancies himself lucky to be alive. For the cynical adult reader, Larry's joy represents his naivety; his faith in love seems misplaced. Poor Larry just doesn¡¦t know what kind of mud the world still has in store for him, for us all. But maybe, just maybe, he¡¦ll survive better than the rest of us because he¡¦s got stories, Jed¡¦s stories and his own, to keep him going.

Timothy R. Fox
Kui Xing: The Journal of Asian/Diasporic and Aboriginal Literature
http://www.kuixing.panopticonasia.com
Join the Kui Xing Discussion Group

"THE LESSER BLESSED is easily one of the most truthful, painful, powerful novels I've ever read."

-Joseph Bruchac

I been looking for a whille for a great Antarctica book.
this is by far the best.
wall to wall photos topics on everything explorations,wildlife,marine life, you name it.
spectacular coffee table book dont miss.

it even covers the artic "north pole" also

This is a beautifully produced and wonderfully comprehensive book. If you want a book which concentrates on wildlife then look elsewhere (eg Antarctic Wildlife by H Shirihai) - better still get both as complementary to each other!
The layout and structure is well conceived, the maps are clear, the photos are always good and often magnificent, the writing is aimed at intelligent readers, the index is good and above all the coverage is all-embracing within its subject. There is a nice section on Antarctic related Web links but, a minor criticism, no Bibliography. As the title indicates it is 90+% about the Antarctic with the Arctic as an "add-on". I was at first a bit negative about the inclusion of the Arctic but have come to the view that it is useful as a comparator - but you wouldn't buy this book for its Arctic content.

I recently took a cruise to Antarctica and this book was in the ship's library. This is an excellent book on Antarctica and the pictures are fabulous! This makes a great coffe-table book!

I am an Earth Science teacher and I have done research in Antarctica. The book has many wonderful photos and highly informative text about the geologic, oceanographic, atmospheric and biologic features of the polar regions. I recommend this book for anyone interested in these areas, especially teachers.

I loved this book it was a great resource to me in building my Women in Alaska's History page. It was both well written and visually appealing, it flowed nicely and had excellent graphics!

What an awesome book! Couldn't put it down. The odds these women fought against to chase their dreams during such a dangerous journey, not to mention the hardship of simply being a woman during this time in history is astounding! A must read for any woman looking for inspiration and motivation to follow her dreams!

Jane G. Haigh and Claire Rudolf Murphy have compiled a book about women of Alaska that is both concise and comprehensive. Glancing through this slim volume reveals a starting place on every page and creates an urge to read it all in one sitting. That would be a mistake, however, since the history contained in the pictures, biographical sketches, journal excerpts, maps, and historical cameos deserves to be savored in small slices and contemplated at length. Haigh and Murphy not only catalog names, dates, and places, but they have managed to create a view of the Gold Rush Women of Alaska and the Yukon that instills a sense of pride in their daughters, granddaughters, sisters, and nieces. These women defied not only the hardships of survival in the north, with its harsh climate and unforgiving nature, but most of them also defied the social conventions of their day to travel alone, or in small groups, seeking adventure, employment, and riches in much the same way as the men usually associated with the gold rush. Many of them found all they were seeking and more, while others died trying. Some took up the illicit trade of prostitution or worked to deprive successful miners of their treasure. Most simply worked hard, took advantage of opportunity as it presented itself, and prospered in the self reliance and skills they possessed. Gold Rush Women includes stories of educated, sophisticated women from the privileged societies of America and Europe, illiterate but highly skilled women from poorer levels of those societies, and the Native women who adapted to the invasion of their homeland and created new lives for their own families. From Harriet Pullen, who owned the most elegant hotel in Alaska, to Klondike Kate Rockwell, known as the Belle of the Yukon, to Sinrock Mary, Reindeer Queen, every story in this book inspires admiration for the women who settled, civilized, and survived one of the most famous human stampedes in history. Not all of these women succeeded in reaching the goals they set for themselves, but every one has a fascinating story to tell her late 20th century sisters. We are not the only ones to establish our independence, prove our abilities, and conquer life with all the adversity it may throw at us. The Gold Rush Women were here first!

This small book's size belies the wealth of information it contains. The book gives brief (2-5 page) summaries of the lives of a wide variety of women that participated in the Klondike Gold Rush. The authors write as if they personally knew these women and were telling their friends about them. Their writing style is easy to read, brief and very descriptive.The women include a native woman whose husband made an early stike; a woman whose son didn't return from the Klondike so she followed to search for him; several women who started/worked in businesses in the Klondike and women and families that entertained the prospectors. Photos accompany each biographical sketch.These are poignant stories that made me marvel at the strength of character of these women. Many made fortunes and found husbands in the Klondike but most suffered emotional or financial loss later.This book can be savored as either a very enjoyable read or for the historical bibliography it provides. I've referred to it several times and will continue to re-read it.

this guy is amazing - seven trips to Alaska on dirt roads after retiring from enduro racing

from 1100 cc goldwing to last trip on 225 CC serow

p. 247" it is amazing how much that little machine can take , not to mention my 72-years-old body. I bounced along the ground and heard my helmet hit the dirt road three times before I finally came to rest. As Jake was picking me up, he said I was lucky I landed on my head; otherwise, I might have really gotten hurt!"

p.272 " I hate airplanes. Besides, they can be dangerous"

This book is the best I have evr read. It has inspired me to attempt a cross-country motorcycle trip. (eventually) Peit Boonstra was a very good friend of my grandfather, and he is as nice in person as he is in this book.

This book is basically a diary of Boonstra's long adventure tours. Some of the conditions he rides in are extremely harsh, and made me think that he was crazy for continuing. I read this book cover to cover, but you don't need to. Each of his trips is a separate chapter. I would definitely recommend reading the first two Alaska trips; it is during these trips that he is learning about adventure touring and he has the most interesting experiences (from a riding standpoint). On his second trip, he gets cought in a blizzard and also does quite a bit of riding in the snow! It was worth the read and really opened my eyes to what you can do on a motorcycle.

This is a quite wonderful story.... a music of words.... ebbing and flowing between near-surreal and ultra-surreal with only a few intrusions of pure didactic rationalism. Buy it and read it.

This is a very powerful book. It is not the typical wilderness adventure book. Unlike the TV nature show, amazing things don't happen every few mintutes. In fact few amazing things happen at all, yet the whole experience of small wilderness experiences add up to a book that will take you to another place.

"It seems critical to me to devote some part of each year to this nothingness, this time without time, this confrontation with animal demons real and imagined, learning once again how to surrender to some internal environment made external."

Nollman confronts the question of us versus them strongly in this book with the us being modern society and them being animals, nature and native cultures. He feels the chance has been lost to learn from "them" in a way that everyone would benefit, instead of disregarding that knowledge and destroying it.

Chapter 15 begins with a wonderful quote by Carl Safina from Song for the Blue Ocean. "Ecosystems are now like history books with many of the pages ripped out. And when people come along there is no way for them to know what was on those torn-out pages. Their values are not constructed around the abundance that once filled those holes. They accept the blank parts as though they've always been there."

Nollman pulls no punches in what he experiences on this trip including describing the constant difficult and loving give and take among the three soujourners.

This is a strong book and well worth the time to read it.

If you like to read about the wilderness, survival or the epic story of the Mounties early days at Herschel Island this book is for you. Imagine making the trip to Fort McPherson by dog sled or having to possibly sacrifice one of your dogs so that you and the other dogs could survive. Dick North tells it like it really was. I could not put it down.

This is an incredible tale of a Canadian Mountie patrol that disappeared in the northern wilderness under frightful freezing conditions. No one knew what really happened until the author -- many decades too late -- found the wrong turn the patrol took. You'll gain a new appreciation of the Canadian Mounties and all they stand for in North's The Lost Patrol.

I loved this book! Its subtitle, "The Rush for Northern Riches on Dene Land" gave me the expectation this was primarily a book about exploitation of land and people. I thought I would learn about mining, its harmfulness to the environment, and greed-motivated manipulation of the Dene. Well, I did learn about these things. But I also learned much more.

Bielawski writes with the heart of a poet and eye of an anthropologist. The reader gets to know well the key players in this negotiation process. As a result, I became intrigued by certain people -- their aspirations, traditions and everyday lives became important to me. It's hard not to get attached when descriptions are as apt as this one:

"Avi is a mensch, warm and fast-talking. He leans into each discussion, sleeves rolled up, collar open, as if his exuberance and determination alone will take us to agreement. Ideas bubble out of him. Often they have little immediate bearing on the clause we are discussing. The way Avi works, that doesn't matter. One never knows where solutions will come from." (page 102)

I also learned a lot about Canada's Arctic. Bielawski's vivid descriptions of the geography triggered colorful and detailed images in my mind's eye. For example,

"We walk on old land, geologically the oldest on the planet. The bush seems endlessly wild, untouched by the surficial forces of modern life. Our feet cling to rock outcrops that are scored with the tracks of glaciers. The rock is rose-pink in colour, its pastel faces mottled with lichen and moss in every shade of green, grey, black and white. In its clefts and crevices, Labrador tea, blueberries and cranberries, even spruce find a foothold. To the impatient eye, the rock holds no trace of our passing. But if you look carefully, you see the worn patches. People have walked this way for centuries, if not millennia." (page 14)

Parts of the book read like a personal journal, with Bielawski's experiences and feelings giving the story a liveliness and warmth. These sections were my personal favorites.

"I've brought nothing in my pack except a few dry cookies, almonds and chocolate. These I put on the table with the freshly cooked meat, fish and bannock. The women look at my skimpy offerings as if I am daft or a child." (page 95)

Of course, the main focus of the book is the process of negotiation that takes place between those who want the diamonds mined and those who do not. It is a captivating and poignant story that kept me reading when I should have been doing other things. I highly recommend this book. Read it yourself and then share it with your friends. If you are like me, you will never look at diamonds the same way again.

I loved this book! Its subtitle, "The Rush for Northern Riches on Dene Land" gave me the expectation this was primarily a book about exploitation of land and people. I thought I would learn about mining, its harmfulness to the environment, and greed-motivated manipulation of the Dene. Well, I did learn about these things. But I also learned much more.

Bielawski writes with the heart of a poet and eye of an anthropologist. The reader gets to know well the key players in this negotiation process. As a result, I became intrigued by certain people -- their aspirations, traditions and everyday lives became important to me. It's hard not to get attached when descriptions are as apt as this one:

"Avi is a mensch, warm and fast-talking. He leans into each discussion, sleeves rolled up, collar open, as if his exuberance and determination alone will take us to agreement. Ideas bubble out of him. Often they have little immediate bearing on the clause we are discussing. The way Avi works, that doesn't matter. One never knows where solutions will come from." (page 102)

I also learned a lot about Canada's Arctic. Bielawski's vivid descriptions of the geography triggered colorful and detailed images in my mind's eye. For example,

"We walk on old land, geologically the oldest on the planet. The bush seems endlessly wild, untouched by the surficial forces of modern life. Our feet cling to rock outcrops that are scored with the tracks of glaciers. The rock is rose-pink in colour, its pastel faces mottled with lichen and moss in every shade of green, grey, black and white. In its clefts and crevices, Labrador tea, blueberries and cranberries, even spruce find a foothold. To the impatient eye, the rock holds no trace of our passing. But if you look carefully, you see the worn patches. People have walked this way for centuries, if not millennia." (page 14)

Parts of the book read like a personal journal, with Bielawski's experiences and feelings giving the story a liveliness and warmth. These sections were my personal favorites.

"I've brought nothing in my pack except a few dry cookies, almonds and chocolate. These I put on the table with the freshly cooked meat, fish and bannock. The women look at my skimpy offerings as if I am daft or a child." (page 95)

Of course, the main focus of the book is the process of negotiation that takes place between those who want the diamonds mined and those who do not. It is a captivating and poignant story that kept me reading when I should have been doing other things. I highly recommend this book. Read it yourself and then share it with your friends. If you are like me, you will never look at diamonds the same way again.