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piątek, 9 sierpnia 2024

Ada Blackjack

 Surviving the Arctic: The Remarkable Journey of Ada Blackjack

©Andrzej Philips

 



Ada Blackjack Johnson (1898-1983) was an Inupiat woman who gained fame as the sole survivor of the ill-fated 1921 Wrangel Island Expedition. Her story is a remarkable example of resilience and courage in the face of the harsh Arctic environment. Her role was to serve as a cook and seamstress for a group of four men who were to conduct research on the remote island located north of Siberia. Ada agreed to join the expedition because she needed money to pay for her son's medical treatment.

The was an ambitious but ultimately tragic attempt to claim Wrangel Island, a remote Arctic territory, for Canada. Organized by Vilhjalmur Stefansson, a well-known Canadian Arctic explorer, the expedition sought to establish a permanent settlement on Wrangel Island, located in the Chukchi Sea, north of Siberia.

 

The Expedition Team

The expedition team consisted of five members:

- Allan Crawford (20 years old): The leader of the group, a Canadian who had previously worked with Stefansson.

- Frederick Maurer (28 years old): An experienced American sailor with Arctic experience.

- Milton Galle (19 years old): An American from Texas who served as the expedition's assistant.

- Lorne Knight (28 years old): An experienced explorer who had already participated in Stefansson's previous Arctic expeditions.

- Ada Blackjack (23 years old): An Inupiat woman hired as a cook and seamstress. She was a single mother who joined the expedition out of financial necessity to support her son.

 

 Life on Wrangel Island

The team arrived on Wrangel Island in September 1921, bringing with them a limited supply of food and equipment. Stefansson had promised that a resupply ship would arrive the following summer, but the harsh Arctic conditions made life on the island difficult. The group had to rely on hunting for food, and the expected resupply ship never arrived. As the months passed, the situation became increasingly dire. By the summer of 1922, it became clear that the team was in serious trouble. Their supplies were running low, and hunting proved difficult in the harsh Arctic environment. The team was forced to eat the meager game they could catch, but it wasn't enough to sustain them.

 

 The Tragic Outcome

In January 1923, three of the men—Crawford, Maurer, and Galle—attempted to reach the Siberian mainland on foot across the ice in search of help, but they were never seen again. Lorne Knight, who stayed behind with Ada Blackjack, became gravely ill, likely from scurvy and malnutrition. Ada, despite her initial reluctance and lack of experience in hunting, managed to take care of Knight for as long as she could. Unfortunately, he died in June 1923, leaving Ada as the sole survivor.

 

 Ada Blackjack's Survival and Rescue

Ada Blackjack spent several months alone on Wrangel Island, surviving through sheer determination and the survival skills she had developed. In August 1923, she was rescued by a relief party sent by Stefansson, who had finally realized the dire situation on the island. Ada was the only survivor of the expedition.

 

 Aftermath

The 1921 Wrangel Island Expedition ended in tragedy, with the deaths of all four men involved. Stefansson's reputation suffered significantly as a result, as he was widely criticized for the poor planning and lack of support that led to the disaster. Ada Blackjack, who had joined the expedition out of desperation, returned to Alaska and lived a quiet life, though her story eventually became well-known as a testament to human resilience and survival.


Vilhjalmur Stefansson

Vilhjalmur Stefansson[1] is widely known, with numerous publications dedicated to his life and work[2]. Besides the Wrangel Island expedition, Stefansson resumed his explorations by sledge over the Arctic Ocean (locally known as the Beaufort Sea), departing from Collinson Point, Alaska, in April 1914. On May 28, 1986, the United States Postal Service issued a 22-cent postage stamp in his honor. Similarly, Canada commemorated Stefansson's 1914 expedition in its 1989 "Exploration of Canada" series. The Marshall Islands also honored Stefansson in their "Arctic Explorers" series, issued on April 14, 2009.


USA stamp commemorating Vilhjalmur Stefansson

  

        

Stamp and the set “Arctic Explorers” edited by Marshall Islands

Canadian stamp commemorating  Vilhjalmur Stefansson


Full  Canadian set


 Full American set

Petition to United States Postal Service

 

It's curious that no postal administration, particularly American, has ever dedicated a stamp to Ada Blackjack Johnson. I have sent a petition to United States Postal Service to issue a commemorative stamp in honor of Ada Blackjack Johnson.



 

Early Life

Ada Blackjack was born in 1898 in a small Inupiat village in Alaska. Raised by missionaries, she lost her parents at a young age and had to learn how to survive in the challenging conditions of the Arctic. In 1917, she married Jack Blackjack, with whom she had a son named Bennett. Their marriage ended in divorce, leaving Ada as a single mother in Anchorage, struggling to support herself and her son, who was suffering from tuberculosis.

 

Return to Civilization

Ada was rescued in August 1923 by a relief party that found her as the sole survivor of the expedition. Upon her return to Anchorage, she became a hero, though she was reluctant to give interviews and avoided the spotlight.

 Later Years

After her return from the expedition, Ada continued to struggle with poverty and tried to provide a better life for her son. She eventually settled in Seattle, where she spent the rest of her life. Although she never achieved significant fame or fortune, her story became a symbol of courage and perseverance.

 

Ada Blackjack passed away in 1983, leaving behind a legacy as a quiet hero whose life was a testament to the extraordinary strength of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming adversity. Her story was later chronicled in books and films, ensuring that her remarkable life would be remembered by future generations.

More about Ada Blackjack life you may read here:

Ada Blackjack: Forgotten Queen of Arctic Expeditions

https://oceanwide-expeditions.com/blog/ada-blackjack-forgotten-queen-of-arctic-expedition-survivors

and Ada Blackjack

https://raunerlibrary.blogspot.com/2012/04/ada-blackjack.html



[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilhjalmur_Stefansson

[2] https://web.archive.org/web/20070823030952/http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/stefansson.html