Ada Blackjack, the only survivor of the expedition to Wrangel Island 1921

Nestled in the unforgiving Arctic expanse, Wrangel Island stands defiantly against the Siberian coastline, braving the relentless Arctic tempests of the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas. Enveloped in ice for the majority of the year and battered by ferocious cyclonic winds, this remote outpost is not just a haven for the last vestiges of the woolly mammoth but also hosts the highest concentration of polar bear dens on the planet.

Amidst this harsh and frozen landscape, Wrangel Island became the backdrop for an extraordinary yet ill-fated Arctic odyssey. In the year 1921, five intrepid souls set foot on this icy terrain, unwittingly sparking a diplomatic imbroglio. Fast forward two years, and only one resilient survivor remained to recount the harrowing tale: a 25-year-old Iñupiat woman by the name of Ada Blackjack.

Expedition to Claim Wrangel Island

The genesis of this expedition unfolded in the mind of Vilhjalmur Stefansson, an Arctic explorer born in Manitoba. Stefansson, a staunch advocate challenging the perception of the northern polar region as an inhospitable wasteland, boldly termed it “The Friendly Arctic.” Despite Wrangel being Russian territory, its uninhabited status fueled Stefansson’s belief that it could be claimed for Canada or the United Kingdom. This ambitious vision hinted at the prospect of transforming Wrangel into an air base for future pan-Arctic flights.

Stefansson handpicked four young men for this endeavor – three Americans and a Canadian designated as the nominal leader to bolster their territorial claim. Departing from Seattle on August 18, 1921, their journey brought them to Nome, Alaska, where they sought passage to Wrangel for both the four men and the Indigenous Alaskans they intended to hire. Despite encountering challenges in securing transportation, the Iñupiat families initially interested in joining the expedition ultimately declined. As the departure approached, Ada Blackjack found herself alone on the dock.

The original plan involved the Iñupiat contributing essential hunting and survival skills, skills that Ada lacked. Born as Ada Deletuk in 1898 in the Native settlement of Spruce Creek, Alaska, she had been sent to Nome at a young age. Raised by Methodist missionaries, Ada acquired literacy, cooking skills, and proficiency in creating fur clothing, showcasing her expertise as an accomplished seamstress.

Stefansson enticed Ada to join the expedition with a promise of $50 per month – a substantial sum compared to her other options. Financially burdened, Ada had divorced her husband, Jack Blackjack, whom she had married at 16, after he beat her and starved her and eventually abandoned her. Two of her three children had perished, and the surviving one, Bennett, suffered from chronic tuberculosis, residing in an orphanage due to Ada’s inability to afford his care.

Ada Blackjack: Nervous, Frightened About Expedition

Nevertheless, her apprehension about the upcoming journey was quite understandable. Firstly, she harbored a deeply rooted fear of polar bears. A visit to a shaman in Nome did little to alleviate her concerns; the shaman foretold imminent death and danger, cautioning her to be vigilant regarding fire and knives.

Ada also considered it inappropriate to travel alone to a remote island with four men, and reciprocally, they deemed it unseemly to travel with a lone female. Nonetheless, having given her word and being assured that more Inuit would be hired during a stop in Siberia, on September 9, they embarked on their journey—20-year-old Canadian Allan Crawford; Americans Lorne Knight and Fred Maurer, both 28, and Milton Galle, 19; Blackjack; and the expedition kitten, Vic, presented to the men by the crew of the ship that had brought them to Nome.

A week later, they reached Wrangel Island, with a brief stop in Siberia failing to yield any Inuit reinforcements. Ada immediately felt overwhelmed by the challenges that lay ahead. As the men raised the Union Jack and declared the island a British possession, she walked to the beach, her gaze fixed on the departing ship, shedding tears.

Surprisingly, the weather was mild, and the team quickly established a routine. However, after a couple of weeks, the situation changed. Ada, suffering from homesickness and fear, became withdrawn. Every glimpse of the men’s knives filled her with terror, fueled by the shaman’s ominous prediction. Aware that none of the men particularly wanted her there and convinced that Knight intended to harm her, she contemplated drinking liniment to end her life. On another occasion, she followed fox tracks, believing that spirits disguised as foxes would treat her kindly. In response to her sporadic cooking and sewing, the men initially attempted to coax her, then resorted to mockery, denial of food, exposure to the cold, and even tying her to the flagpole. At one point, they threatened to whip her.

As winter tightened its grip, Ada’s mood seemed to brighten while the men’s spirits sagged. They collectively focused on surviving the dark, cold months, staying fed and warm, and fending off polar bears that lurked around the camp. They eagerly anticipated summer and the arrival of a relief ship. However, despite the passage and peak of summer, the icy barrier around the island persisted, and the ship dispatched by Stefansson from Alaska proved unable to reach them.

Upon the return of winter, the group found themselves grappling not only with emotional challenges but also with severe physical hardships. Despite Stefansson’s assurances of abundant game, their potential prey, including foxes, seals, and bears, had migrated to other parts of the island. Their condition started to deteriorate, particularly that of Knight, who had fallen ill during a solitary exploration in the fall and displayed symptoms of scurvy. In January 1923, with temperatures plummeting to minus 50 degrees, Crawford, Maurer, and Galle embarked on a perilous journey across the sea ice toward Siberia, aiming to raise the alarm and coordinate a rescue mission. Regrettably, they vanished without a trace.

Ada was now left to grapple with a rapidly declining Knight. As a young Inuk who had never experienced life in the wilderness, the responsibility of providing for both of them rested squarely on her shoulders. She took it upon herself to learn the art of trapping foxes and shooting birds in flight. Displaying remarkable courage, she even faced down bears to protect the camp. Allocating the majority of the fresh meat to Knight to counteract his scurvy, Ada faced incessant verbal abuse as his condition worsened. He relentlessly accused her of failing to do enough to sustain their livelihood. Concurrently, Ada, too, began exhibiting symptoms of scurvy, further complicating their dire situation.

Ada Blackjack: The Lone Survivor Emerges

On June 23, Lorne Knight succumbed to the harsh Arctic conditions, leaving Ada Blackjack as the lone survivor on Wrangel Island. Grieving and lacking the strength to move Knight’s lifeless body, she constructed a makeshift barricade of wooden boxes to shield him from wildlife and sought refuge in the storage tent to escape the odor of decay. Apart from the comforting presence of Vic the cat, Ada found herself truly isolated. While clinging to hope for the return of her companions, uncertainty loomed over her fate in this desolate and unforgiving environment. Would she endure another brutal winter alone? Would she ever reunite with her son, Bennett?

After Knight’s demise, Ada, facing dwindling ammunition supplies, shifted her focus to collecting eggs and resourcefully crafted a boat using wood and skins. When the wind carried her first vessel out to sea, undeterred, she constructed another. And then, she waited.

On August 20, roused from slumber by unfamiliar sounds, Ada peered through her field glasses and witnessed a miraculous sight. The perpetual fog briefly lifted, revealing a ship on the horizon. Racing to the beach, she waded into the water just as a boat reached the shore.

Anticipating the return of Crawford, Maurer, and Galle, Ada and Stefansson’s associate, Harold Noice, both realized the gravity of the situation. Ada Blackjack, the reluctant and underestimated Iñupiat seamstress, who had endured ridicule and hardship, emerged as the last survivor. Alive and heading home to her son, she collapsed into Noice’s arms, overcome with emotion.

Her return and the loss of her fellow expedition members sparked widespread public attention. Ada, however, attempted to distance herself from the ensuing furor. Taking Bennett to Seattle for tuberculosis treatment, she later welcomed another son named Billy before eventually returning to Alaska. Ada passed away on May 29, 1983, at the age of 85, and found her resting place in Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery. Billy erected a plaque on her grave with the inscription: “The Heroine of Wrangel Island.”

A century later, Ada’s story remains a source of inspiration, particularly among her fellow Alaska Natives. Holly Mitiquq Nordlum, an Iñupiat artist, reflects on Ada’s strength and survival, seeing a connection between their lives. “Here in Alaska, that strength and survival that she showed, doing what you can and figuring things out, those are things that all of us have to have to survive, even just growing up in a village. She’s one of us; I see myself in her. That’s what inspires me.”