Who Is Ada Blackjack?

Ada Blackjack is not a name that is familiar to many people today. However, her story is one that deserves to be told.

Born in 1898 in Solomon, a small town in Alaska, Ada Blackjack’s life was one of hardship and struggle from the beginning. Her mother died when she was young, and her father was an abusive alcoholic who eventually abandoned the family.

Despite these challenges, Ada was determined to make something of herself. She married at a young age and had three children, but her husband died of tuberculosis shortly after their third child was born. With no means of support, Ada was forced to leave her children with relatives and look for work.

In 1921, Ada answered an advertisement seeking Inuit women for an expedition to Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean. The expedition’s leader, Vilhjalmur Stefansson, promised the women good pay and a chance to see new places. Ada saw this as an opportunity to earn enough money to support her children and agreed to join the expedition.

The goal of the expedition was to claim Wrangel Island for Canada and establish a base there for future expeditions. The team consisted of five men and four women, including Ada Blackjack.

They arrived on the island in September 1921 but soon encountered difficulties. The men were inexperienced hunters, and they struggled to find enough food for the group.

To make matters worse, winter came early that year, trapping the team on the island with no hope of rescue until spring. By January 1922, three members of the team had died from starvation or exposure. The remaining members were weak and desperate for help.

It was at this point that Ada Blackjack took charge of the situation. Despite being inexperienced herself, she learned how to hunt and fish on the island and began providing food for the group. She also nursed them back to health when they fell ill from scurvy or other diseases.

By the time rescue finally arrived in June 1923, Ada was the only survivor of the expedition. She had spent two years on the island, surviving against all odds and keeping the others alive through sheer determination and resourcefulness.

Ada’s story is one of courage and resilience in the face of adversity. She overcame poverty, loss, and discrimination to become a hero of Arctic exploration. Her legacy lives on today as an inspiration to all who face difficult challenges in their lives.

To summarize, Ada Blackjack was a determined and resourceful woman who overcame tremendous challenges to become a hero of Arctic exploration. Her story is one that deserves to be remembered and celebrated for generations to come.