by Nikki Rajala | Oct 27, 2019 | Voyageur
What totally inspires wanna-be voyageurs like me? The impressive lakes of the north woods, of course. Bill and I were fortunate to be on those amazing waters that were part of the voyageurs’ highway. We were invited to spend a September weekend on Bear Island of Crane...
by Nikki Rajala | Oct 5, 2019 | Featured
In all my reading about Lewis and Clark, I never paid attention to the French-Canadian role on the expedition. Guess what we’re going to do today? Starting with President Thomas Jefferson, who read Alexander Mackenzie’s 1801 book about his 1792 overland...
by Nikki Rajala | Sep 14, 2019 | Voyageur
Over the years I’ve really disliked Toussaint Charbonneau, a French-Canadian fur trader and the husband of Sacagawea. He has become more interesting to me! My negative beliefs about Charbonneau came from Elliot Coues, who thoroughly vilified him when editing the...
by Nikki Rajala | Jul 14, 2019 | Featured
Looking for summer reading? Here are four stories of adventure in the northern woods and waters. The voyage changed the lives of the young canoeists — and the others had been hoping for years to make this trek. I paddled only a few times in the Boundary Waters or on...
by Nikki Rajala | May 5, 2019 | Voyageur
When I needed info on pensions for infirm canoemen, where could I find it? Luckily, a book by Carolyn Podruchny had just enough online to answer my question — and more. Her “Making the Voyageur World: Travelers and Traders in the North American Fur Trade” had much to...
