Tejas Janet's Halting Hi-Octane Challenge

[Tejas Janet]

Sorry to forget about my earlier thread. Thought it had probably been deleted when I dropped out awhile back due to personal reasons. Thanks again.

[Janice, Moderator]

No problem, TJ. :)

We wouldn't delete individual threads for the year long challenges. We move them to an archive folder after the challenge is over, so they are still accessible.

[Tejas Janet]

I preferred A Girl from Yamhill. It didn't have an agenda like the Cat Who Came for Christmas certainly has. I chose to be tolerant about this aspect tho because I liked the characters that Amory created, especially the cat : ) And he told his story with real compassion I thought.

I have a soft spot for stories featuring cats, dogs, and critters in general. I try to pick and choose though rather than inundate myself with stories in this category. I also like memoirs of all sorts generally.

I'm currently reading The Long Exile, and what I'm learning about Robert Flaherty, the film maker behind Nanook of the North, while very interesting, is leaving me divided. I admire him, but also disapprove of many of his decisions that too often leave the sled dogs starving and dying from cold.

I'm not far along in my reading yet, and don't know where it will take me. And I do love this kind of adventure.

[Tejas Janet]

I really enjoyed Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl. Such an amazing story from start to finish. No way would I want to make this journey personally, but I loved reading about it curled up in front of the fire place : )

[Cherie]

Tejas Janet wrote: "I really enjoyed Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl. Such an amazing story from start to finish. No way would I want to make this journey personally, but I loved reading about it curled up in front of the ..."

Yes! I am glad you liked it. Heyerdahl made me want to go into Oceanography when I "grew up".

I think I need to add this one to a re-read list that I have been thinking about creating. I believe there is another out there about a follow up voyage that I read too, but not sure.

@ The Long Exile - does the book say WHY the Cannadian government decides to re-locate the Innuit group to Ellesmere Island? I mean why THERE?

[Tejas Janet]

Complicated to explain... bear with me here and excuse my over-simplification.

Canadian government then and now maintains it was voluntary relocation and humanitarian endeavor. Inuit of Hudson Bay's Inukjuak lives and livelihoods had been negatively impacted by the disruptive influence of the fur trade and whale hunting; also contact with non-native people and ravages of disease.

The Inuit started living closer to the trading centers. Started buying food stuffs rather than hunting and preserving food. Then fur trapping and whaling economies tanked for various reasons. The government started providing some subsistence hardship relief for the Inuit.

Due to the cold war climate and conflicting territorial claims with Denmark, Norway, and US, it was in Canada's interest to establish more of a presence in the high artic to assert their sovereignty over territory that had no outposts nor settlements. Relocation of some portion of the Inuit seemed to offer a solution to multiple problems in the government's view.

While the move was limited in size to just 7 extended families, the government's ill-conceived plan and implementation was devastating for these 87 relocated Inuit people. The government story of abundant caribou, fox, marine animals and more turned out to be completely untrue. Same regarding supply of fresh water.

Everything was different in their new "home" land so much further north, and they were inadequately out-fitted in terms of clothing, housing, supplies, information, and support. And then they were not allowed to return to Inukjuak as promised if they wished to after one to two years trial.

The first third of the book sets the ground work for what's to follow, which I think will focus on their coping with extreme hardships faced after relocation, with their survival as a community against the odds though some individuals will perish. I'm finding it to be an interesting and inspirational story, but very sad at times.

[Cherie]

Wow... I am speachless. I was talking to my daughter on the phone when I saw your response. I told her I had asked you "why" and she laughed at me and pointed out where the US government had moved our American Indians to.

Your answer in the 3rd paragraph answered about why Ellesmere Island and I guess I get that. The rest of what they did, though, is so hard to comprehend. I will add the book to my list.

Thank you.

[Tejas Janet]

Exactly re: why US sent our native americans to desolate lands. The idea was that these were not valuable lands.

But has turned out that some of these lands have been valuable in terms of resources.

Some even have their eye on lands that will be valuable after global warming tho this makes me want to barf into my morning cup of coffee.

Hello... let's not go there please.

[Tejas Janet]

Well, I only made it to the letter L for my round 2. I've decided to move on to the 2014 chunkster challenge. That way I can still read the unread books from my 2013 list, but they can count towards the 2014 challenge as long as I make sure to link them per the challenge rules. I'm happy to have made it at least thru one full round of the 2013 challenge!! Looking forward to moving into the new year and new challenges : )