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Journeys to the Far North
Olaus J. Murie took his first field trip as a biologist to the Hudson Bay region in 1914, observing the land and the wildlife, and learning the ways of the native people of the North. Later expeditions took him to Labrador and many part of Alaska, a land he came to know well and love deeply. What Murie experienced on these travels was recorded in the sketchbooks and journal that he always carried with him. Along with his fascinating collection of photographs, they form the basis for a narrative that combines a scientist’s eye for detail and a naturalist’s reverence for wilderness. Whether dogsledding, shooting rapids in a canoe, or dancing with Aleut Eskimos, Murie had a passion for discovery and conservation that enlivens every page of JOURNEYS TO THE FAR NORTH.
- GenresNature
255 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
About the author
Olaus Johan Murie
23 books3 followersOlaus Murie called the "father of modern elk management", was a naturalist, author, and wildlife biologist who did groundbreaking field research on a variety of large northern mammals. He also served as president of The Wilderness Society, The Wildlife Society, and as director of the Izaak Walton League. With his wife, Mardie Murie, he successfully campaigned to enlarge the boundaries of the Olympic National Park, and to create the Jackson Hole National Monument and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 30, 2021
rating: 3.5
I've read quite a few books set in the far north, but this is the only one that has focused on the natural world instead of on the adventure and the lives of the native peoples. First, I read the 4-page summary of Murie's life in the appendix. From that, I knew I'd like the man and probably like what he'd written. These are a few lines that popped out at me:
p 246: Olaus always said that no one could have had a better boyhood. In addition to hard work there were always joys-- the days when he, his [2] brothers, and their friends roamed the woods along the Red River, gathering wood and fishing for needed food, but also skating in winter, swimming in summer, and camping out in a thickly wooded area which they called "The Wilderness."
P 248: The [3] Murie children were taught to be dependable and resourceful in the out-of-doors, for their father [Olaus] believed that all children need woods, water, and wild creatures. ...
He was a child with children and loved to play their games and to dance.
He had the kind of childhood that would foster an interest in the natural world so it's no surprise that he became a naturalist. What about today's children who grow up in apartment houses, do any of them develop an attachment to the environment?
Based on his journals and memories, he describes an inviting territory where even white expanses have beauty. Not one to mutter about the cold (which I'm sure I'd do), he focuses on what he sees and learns. I experienced the north through his eyes, seeing not only the 'big picture,' but also picking up tidbits of information. He reported hearing that flocks of passenger pigeons had been common in Northern Quebec, and that spruce grouse feed extensively on spruce needles a practice which enables them to survive year-round on snow-covered grounds.
In conclusion (p 245), he writes:
Sun and moon and stars, the northern lights, the rising and the setting, day and night, summer and winter - the pageant of the North. All this and its precious wild creatures, I have known. And I now also know how greatly privileged I have been.
And from the foreword by Victor Scheffer:
This is the true story of a man who believed that humankind would be saved by learning to love and preserve the wild places of earth, large and small. He was a missionary, though he would have screwed up his face at hearing the word. His religion was wilderness.
I've read quite a few books set in the far north, but this is the only one that has focused on the natural world instead of on the adventure and the lives of the native peoples. First, I read the 4-page summary of Murie's life in the appendix. From that, I knew I'd like the man and probably like what he'd written. These are a few lines that popped out at me:
p 246: Olaus always said that no one could have had a better boyhood. In addition to hard work there were always joys-- the days when he, his [2] brothers, and their friends roamed the woods along the Red River, gathering wood and fishing for needed food, but also skating in winter, swimming in summer, and camping out in a thickly wooded area which they called "The Wilderness."
P 248: The [3] Murie children were taught to be dependable and resourceful in the out-of-doors, for their father [Olaus] believed that all children need woods, water, and wild creatures. ...
He was a child with children and loved to play their games and to dance.
He had the kind of childhood that would foster an interest in the natural world so it's no surprise that he became a naturalist. What about today's children who grow up in apartment houses, do any of them develop an attachment to the environment?
Based on his journals and memories, he describes an inviting territory where even white expanses have beauty. Not one to mutter about the cold (which I'm sure I'd do), he focuses on what he sees and learns. I experienced the north through his eyes, seeing not only the 'big picture,' but also picking up tidbits of information. He reported hearing that flocks of passenger pigeons had been common in Northern Quebec, and that spruce grouse feed extensively on spruce needles a practice which enables them to survive year-round on snow-covered grounds.
In conclusion (p 245), he writes:
Sun and moon and stars, the northern lights, the rising and the setting, day and night, summer and winter - the pageant of the North. All this and its precious wild creatures, I have known. And I now also know how greatly privileged I have been.
And from the foreword by Victor Scheffer:
This is the true story of a man who believed that humankind would be saved by learning to love and preserve the wild places of earth, large and small. He was a missionary, though he would have screwed up his face at hearing the word. His religion was wilderness.
May 21, 2008
Totally inspiring adventures of an iconic conservationist. Beautiful sensitive writing. Love this book. Makes me want to cross Alaska in a dogsled and spend the winter in a sleeping bag made of woven rabbit skins.
July 16, 2020
Good retelling of murie’s exploration and investigation of wildlife and flora. Last part repeats Nansen and explains murie’s feelings about wilderness. He loves the wilderness, but insights less compelling.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews