Iñupiaq woman Ada Blackjack survived nearly two years on Wrangel Island
The 23-year-old joined an Arctic expedition in 1921 to fund her son's medical treatment before being stranded.
Ada Blackjack, a 23-year-old Iñupiaq woman, survived for nearly two years on the isolated Wrangel Island after an Arctic expedition vanished, according to the Times of India.
Blackjack joined the 1921 expedition led by Allan Crawford, an associate of explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson, to serve as a cook and seamstress. She intended to use the earnings to pay for her son's medical treatment.
The group, which included four young men, faced dangerous conditions as supplies ran short. In January 1923, four members left the camp to seek help but never returned, leaving Blackjack with Lorne Knight, who was suffering from scurvy.
Knight died on June 23, leaving Blackjack alone with the expedition's cat, Vic. To survive, she taught herself to shoot a rifle, hunted seals and birds, caught foxes in traps, and collected eggs and edible plants.
Blackjack used her sewing skills to repair warm clothing and reinforced her shelter with driftwood to protect against polar bears. She was motivated to survive by the hope of reuniting with her son.
A rescue ship reached the island on August 20, 1923, and brought Blackjack and Vic to safety. After returning, she travelled to Seattle to secure medical treatment for her son and lived a private life until her death in 1983.