Ada Blackjack, an Iñupiaq woman, who survived for two years as a castaway on Wrangel Island in the Arctic in the 1920s...
Ada Blackjack (1898-1983), a young Inuit mother was hired as a seamstress for an Arctic expedition in 1921. The expedition aimed to claim Wrangel Island for Canada. Ada, a seamstress by trade and desperate to provide for her sick son, was not an explorer or hunter but simply a woman trying to make ends meet. Out of the five expedition members, she was the only woman and the only Inuk, and her role was primarily to help with sewing. However, when supplies dwindled, the men left to seek help across the harsh Arctic ice and they never returned.
After the rest of the team perished or left, she survived alone for months, hunting and fending for herself. Left alone with a dying companion and a cat named Vic, Ada found herself in the desolate wilderness, 700 miles from any help, facing the unforgiving cold and extreme isolation. With no choice but to survive, she taught herself to shoot a rifle, fended off polar bears with a knife, and even sewed her own mittens when her hands became numb from the cold. Ada survived by trapping foxes, hunting seals, and reading the Bible aloud for comfort. Through it all, her faithful companion, Vic the cat, kept her warm during the long, cold nights.
Two years later in 1923, rescuers arrived to find her alive—though thin, exhausted, and worn. Despite the men receiving most of the attention in the aftermath, Ada Blackjack's incredible survival story was nearly forgotten. Today, however, she is remembered not only for her bravery and resilience but for her quiet strength in the face of extreme adversity. Ada’s story stands as a testament to the power of determination and survival against all odds.
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