Description

Pp. 354, colour and b/w illustrations, ep maps. “The author “kayaks, skis, dogsleds, and sails his way across the Great Solitudes in a thrilling and ultimately successful quest for ‘true wisdom’ arriving at a profound understanding of environment and culture.”  //  “A gripping, real-life adventure of a solo journey by kayak, skis, and dogsled across the top of the world.<br><br>In 1997, Jonathan Waterman began a gruelling 2,200-mile trek across the forbidding Northwest Passage and the newly designated province of Nunavut, Canada’s 770,000-square-mile, Inuit-governed territory. Based on first-hand experience and extensive research, ‘Arctic Crossing’ gives us a portrait of a culture fraught with contradictions as the Inuit find themselves engaged in a tug-of-war between tradition and powerful influences from the south.  Alongside unflinching portraits of hunters, politicians, troubled youngsters (and elders), Waterman traces Inuit history from its prehistoric past to its present-day moment. Offering his first-hand observations of Inuit life, language, and beliefs, Waterman also documents the unjust treatment of the Inuit at the hands of “Kabloona” (“bushy-eyebrowed” whites). And he is present as the Inuit stand on the brink of a self-determined future.  At the same time, Waterman reveals the physical risks and psychological dangers of crossing the Arctic alone. Evoking the barren beauty of the landscape and its wildlife, he recalls earlier explorers – and their brilliant and often unsuccessful attempts to navigate the elusive Northwest Passage – who, like him, were enraptured by both The People and their unique perspective from the top of the world.”