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, the husband of Sacagawea who happened to be a French-Canadian fur trader. (Which has become very interesting to me!) My negative beliefs about Charbonneau came from Elliot Coues, who thoroughly vilified him...
by Nikki Rajala | Aug 25, 2019 | Featured
Q: What piece of US currency is linked to the French-Canadian fur trade? A: The Sacagawea dollar! Her baby, peeking over her ear, is half French-Canadian. His father is Toussaint Charbonneau. The Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804-06 wouldn’t have had its success...
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...
