Ada black Jack was an Inupiat woman born in 1898 in Alaska. She was a cook by profession. Her life was full of sorrow and grieves.
After her marriage, she gave birth to three children but only one child was able to survive. Due to divorce with her husband and financial issues, she decided to temporarily place her only son in an orphanage.
Ada BlackJack expedition from the Chukchi Sea
In 1921, a Canadian company hired Ada Blackjack. The company was looking forward to setting a team to explore the Wrangel Island. She was selected to go along with four explorers to Wrangel Island. Hence the journey was keenly financed, encouraged, and planned with five settlers including Ada. The only reason to send the team for exploration was to claim the island and add it to the Canadian Territory.
History of Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island was a separate territory that did not belong to any country at that time. Officially it was discovered in 1849. However, Russian Government claimed it and added to Russian territory in 1867. This Island was named after Baron Wrangle, the Russian government.
The toughest journey
The journey began, Ada Blackjack left along with four men and reached Wrangle Island that lies in the North of Siberia. After reaching the Island, the team realized, they have lost their way. The temperature of the Island falls to the lowest degree and it is difficult to survive there without any aid.
Losing their way became the root of several emerging problems. The journey was a planned one with a mission. Although at this point the settlers have to give up their mission to save their lives from the harsh weather and environment of the Island.
Finding no way out, the team stayed there for few months hoping that someday the company might send someone to rescue them. Perhaps, this never happened and they fell shortage of food and other necessities.
The team plans to find their way out of the Island
A day came when the team members decided to move forward and find their way out of this Island. Three members left to find the way while one member was sick at that time. The sick member remained in the tent along with Ada Black Jack. She was ordered to look after the ill team member.
According to Ada Blackjack, unfortunately, the three members who left to find a way out never returned. She believed that they might have become the prey to polar bears or have died of harsh weather. The sick team member was also not able to survive, even though she tried her best to protect and save him.
Lone life of Ada Blackjack
At that moment, Ada was left alone on the island with no food or surviving equipment. She was a lone survivor of the team. She was all alone in the harsh island with a severely cold climate. Not a single human being to help the lady in the vast and strange place. Indeed she always hoped for the best and tried to survive despite zero necessities available. She was the woman who never lost hope.
Through thick and thin, she managed to live there and protect herself. She spent her two long years all alone on the Island. During this time she practiced hunting the seals for food. Her days were filled with misery and sorrows. Polar bears tried to attack her several times but she managed to save her life. She also claimed that she started talking with herself to restore her mental behavior.
Ada Blackjack rescued
After two long years, when she accepted everything as her fate with no way to return, another team that arrived at the Island for exploration rescued her. However, her suffering did not end here. No one appreciated her after returning safely from the journey, rather blamed her for killing her ill team member. She was never provided any aid or benefits from the company.
She spent her remaining years in suffering and died in poverty. Several writers wrote books and documentaries related to her story. Despite the fact she became popular but she never got a single penny from anyone. Neither any publisher nor the company she worked for provided her with any aid.
