The Native Alaskan Survival Story That Revealed How Indigenous Knowledge Helped Humans Adapt To One Of Earth’s Harshest Environments

The expedition had brought with it a set of fox traps.

Fox trapping was a standard Arctic survival technique — Arctic foxes were abundant in the region, and their meat was edible protein while their pelts had commercial value.

Setting a trap was not complicated in principle, but it required learning by doing.

Ada began to set the traps in February 1923, keeping meticulous records in her diary.

“The first fox I caught was on Feb.

21st,” she wrote, “and then the second on March 3 and 4th, 5th, that makes 4 White foxes and then on March 13th, I caught three white foxes, that makes seven foxes altogether.”