Island Folk: The People of Isle Royale

by Peter Oikarinen

The history of a working fishing community comes alive in this collection of stories from the people who made a life on Isle Royale. In Island Folk, candid photographs illuminate the dramatic and sometimes life-and-death experiences of the unique individuals who chose to live in this beautiful and isolated setting. In this lively and charming book, find out how moose actually make their way to Isle Royale or what amount of food is necessary to survive a winter. Hear about the ships that sank in the tricky waters surrounding the island and the raw beauty of the landscape from those who know it intimately. Recalled memories, honestly shared, tell a familiar tale of the ongoing transformation of the island from a quiet working fishing village to a national park haven for tourists who travel by boat or seaplane to experience a vanishing way of life. Peter Oikarinen is a freelance writer and photographer who lives on Lake Superior on Michigan’s Keeweenaw Peninsula. He is the author of A Lake Superior Fisherman.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books like this, stories from old timers living in magical places. I love Isle Royale, and I know it more intimately now.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the states' least visited national park, Isle Royale National Park, was once—during the early 1900s—a thriving fishing community, often populated by first and second-generation Swedes, Finns, and others ready to brave the isolated wilderness, the summer vacationers, and the mercurial and deadly Lake Superior. This book tells the stories of the last people who lived on the island and worked its fields and bays for a living. The occasionally tense relationship between the National Park Service and the people who lived here comes to the foreground, too, as well as its evolving approach towards conservation, both of landscape and ecology as well as of human history. Read this the next time you're dodging a bit of rain in the winter, and want to feel rather comforted, relative to what prior generations experienced, endured, and turned into their livelihoods. Occasional recipes, local gossip, and the increasingly lost history of sailing on the great lakes all play important roles. It's like chatting with that great aunt or great uncle you never had! Recommended.

[Jennifer Bohnhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the 1930s, the US government determined that Isle Royale should become a national park and began buying out the families that lived on the island. A hardy group of fishermen and people who loved wild places, many managed to get the government to give them lifetime leases. In the 1970s, the author, Peter Oikarinen met with many of the old timers who were holding out. He interviewed them and produced this book. Then, in 2008, he updated it, interviewing the children of the original people, who had now become the 'old timers' themselves.

Island Folk is a tender and intimate visit with a hardy group of people who live simple lives. Their love for the old ways, for the island, and for fishing is clear. These interviews provide a glimpse into a time that has passed away. It is sweet and bittersweet.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this before a recent trip to Isle Royale, and it really enhanced my understanding of the cultural history of the island. I wish that there would’ve been more context of who each person was, and why they were chosen for interviewing. Further, as this book was originally published in 1979, I wish the 2008 republication included more updates about the island and the interviewees.

[Terri Frank · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved learning the history of this special place. Some of the stories, especially about fishing, got a little repetitive toward the end. Yet, the author did a great job interviewing as many of the remaining family members he could. This book serves as an important oral history of Isle Royale.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating history. Oikarinen presents the residents and former residents, using their own words. I also found the tensions between the residents and early National Park staff revealing.

[Garrett Huck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool book. Takes a person back to a lost era of Isle Royale history told by the people that lived it. Any lovers of the Isle and it’s history will really appreciate this book.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interviews with people from a lost lifestyle on a beautiful island.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I LOVED the idea of this book and it's purpose, I think actually listening to the tape recordings the author made while interviewing the subjects would be much more interesting. To hear the islanders tales in their own words, with their own voices, w/o the editing of someone else--that would be priceless.