Ada Blackjack, Alone on Wrangel Island
Ada Blackjack, Alone on Wrangel Island
1921–1923Wrangel Island, Arctic Ocean (north of Siberia)Exploration & survival
In 1923, a young mother who feared polar bears survived alone on an Arctic island, armed with a rifle, a cat and her diary.
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The same true story, told at three lengths. Pick one to read, close your eyes, and tell it back in your own words.
217 words · about 1 min to read · retell it in about 2 minutes
In 1921, a young mother in Nome, Alaska, needed money. Her name was Ada Blackjack. Her little son, Bennett, was sick with tuberculosis, and she had to leave him in an orphanage while she worked.
Then she heard about a job. An expedition was going to Wrangel Island, an empty island north of Siberia. They needed someone to cook and sew. The pay was fifty dollars a month. Ada was afraid of polar bears, but she said yes.
Four men and Ada landed on the island. A kitten named Vic came too, for good luck. A ship was supposed to bring food the next summer. It never came. By the time the money was found, ice had blocked the way.
In January 1923, three of the men walked out across the frozen sea to get help. They were never seen again. Ada stayed with the fourth man, Lorne Knight, who was very sick. She taught herself to shoot, hunted for him and read to him, but in June he died.
Now Ada was alone with the cat. She trapped foxes, built a lookout for bears, and even sewed moccasins for her son.
In August, a noise woke her. Through the fog, she saw a ship. Ada Blackjack was the only survivor, and she went home to Bennett.
317 words · about 2 min to read · retell it in about 2 minutes
In 1921, Ada Blackjack was a 23-year-old Iñupiaq woman in Nome, Alaska, with one goal: to get her son back. Bennett had tuberculosis, and she had placed him in an orphanage while she worked as a seamstress.
So when an expedition offered fifty dollars a month for a cook and seamstress, Ada took it, even though she had a deep fear of polar bears. The plan was to occupy Wrangel Island, an uninhabited island north of Siberia. The organizer, the explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson, stayed home. Four men went instead, along with Ada and a kitten called Vic, their good-luck charm. When they landed, the men celebrated their arrival. Ada walked alone to the beach and cried.
Stefansson had promised plenty of game. There wasn’t. In the summer of 1922 a relief ship was supposed to come, but sea ice blocked the way. By winter the food was nearly gone.
In January 1923, three of the men set out across about ninety miles of frozen sea toward Siberia to find help. They were never seen again. Ada stayed behind with Lorne Knight, who was dying of scurvy. Even while caring for Knight, this woman, who had never hunted before the expedition, had taught herself to shoot. She hunted for him, gave him most of the food, and read to him. When he died in June, she carefully typed a record of the day.
Then she was completely alone, except for the cat. She trapped foxes, made a stove from empty kerosene cans, built a lookout on top of her tent to watch for polar bears, and sewed her son a pair of moccasins.
In August 1923, a noise woke her. A ship was coming out of the fog. From the rescuer’s first words, she knew she was the only survivor. Ada used her pay to take Bennett to Seattle for treatment. Her headstone reads: Heroine - Wrangel Island Expedition.
537 words · about 3 min to read · retell it in about 4 minutes
When the ship sailed away from Wrangel Island in September 1921, the four men on shore were still celebrating their arrival. The fifth member of the expedition walked off by herself to the gravel beach, watched the ship disappear, and wept.
Her name was Ada Blackjack. She was a 23-year-old Iñupiaq woman from Nome, Alaska, and she had not come for adventure. Her son Bennett had chronic tuberculosis, and she had been forced to leave him in an orphanage while she scraped a living as a seamstress. The explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson was offering fifty dollars a month, a fortune to her, for a cook and seamstress willing to help occupy an uninhabited island north of Siberia, so that it could be claimed for Canada or the United Kingdom. Ada had a deep fear of polar bears. She was told other Alaska Native families would come too; they backed out, and she ended up the only woman and the only Iñupiaq. Stefansson himself stayed home. They also had sled dogs, and a kitten born on a ship, named Victoria, Vic for short, adopted as a good-luck charm.
At first things went badly between Ada and the men. She was anxious and withdrawn, and they grew harsh with her. But she made a decision: she would survive, for her son.
Stefansson had assured them game would be plentiful and discouraged them from bringing more than six months of supplies. He was wrong. The summer of 1922 came and went, and the relief ship never broke through the sea ice. By January 1923 the food was running out, and three of the men set off across roughly ninety miles of frozen Chukchi Sea toward Siberia to get help. They were never seen again.
Ada was left with Lorne Knight, who was dying of scurvy. She gave him most of what she caught, treated his bed sores and read to him. While nursing him, she taught herself to shoot, and in May wrote in her diary, in her own spelling, about her first target: “I took empty tea tin and shot it I shot right in it, thats pretty good for first time shooting.” He died in June, and she typed a careful record of the day, so the organizer would know the date.
Then she was utterly alone, with a cat, on an Arctic island. And she transformed. She trapped foxes, built skin boats, turned empty kerosene cans into a stove, and built a lookout on top of her tent to watch for bears. While suffering from scurvy herself, she sewed her son a pair of moccasins for the day she got home.
In August 1923, a noise woke her. Through the thick fog, a ship was coming in. She ran down to the beach expecting to see her three companions, and from the first words of the rescuer, Harold Noice, she understood she was the only survivor.
Some newspapers called her the real female Robinson Crusoe, and she hated the attention. She was promised royalties from a book based partly on her diary and received nothing. But she used her pay to take Bennett to Seattle for treatment, and lived to 85. Her headstone reads: Heroine - Wrangel Island Expedition.
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Key facts and sources
Ada Blackjack was an Iñupiaq woman who joined an expedition to the uninhabited Wrangel Island, north of Siberia.
“was an Iñupiaq woman who accompanied an Arctic expedition to the uninhabited Wrangel Island, north of Siberia” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
Her son Bennett had tuberculosis and she had placed him in an orphanage in Nome while she worked as a seamstress.
“Ada was forced to place him in a Nome orphanage while she sought employment as a seamstress.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
Bennett suffered from chronic tuberculosis.
“Bennett suffered from chronic tuberculosis” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
Stefansson offered a salary of $50 per month.
“He offered a salary of $50 per month” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
Vilhjalmur Stefansson planned the expedition but stayed behind; Allan Crawford led it.
“The expedition was led by Canadian explorer Allan Crawford but financed, planned and encouraged by Vilhjalmur Stefansson. Stefansson remained behind” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
The team was Ada, hired as cook and seamstress, plus Lorne Knight, Milton Galle, Fred Maurer and Allan Crawford.
“The team included five people: Blackjack, who had been hired as a cook and seamstress; the American men Lorne Knight, Milton Galle, and Fred Maurer; and Allan Crawford.” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
Ada was 23 and terrified of polar bears.
“23-year-old Ada was terrified. She had a deep fear of polar bears” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
The other Alaska Native families backed out, making her the only Iñupiaq and only woman.
“the other Alaska Native families who agreed to join the expedition ultimately backed out, making her the only Inupiaq and only woman present” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
A kitten named Victoria, Vic for short, joined Ada and the four men.
“Ada and the four men were also joined by their “expedition kitten” named Victoria, or Vic for short.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
The team was left on Wrangel Island on 15 September 1921 to claim it for Canada or the United Kingdom.
“On 15 September 1921, the team was left on Wrangel Island north of Siberia, to claim the island for Canada or the United Kingdom.” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
As the ship left, Ada walked to the beach alone and wept.
“She walked alone to the gravel beach, watched the ship fade into the distance, and wept.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
The summer of 1922 passed and no relief ship came.
“However, the summer of 1922 came and went, and no ship broke through the horizon.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
By the time funds were raised, sea ice blocked the ship.
“By the time he came up with the funds, the sea ice had already blocked the ship’s passage to Wrangel Island.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
Food ran short and the hunting was not enough.
“Rations ran out, and the team was unable to kill enough game on the island to survive.” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
On January 28, 1923, three men set off across about 90 miles of frozen Chukchi Sea toward Siberia, leaving Ada with the sick Knight.
“On January 28, 1923, three of the men finally attempted to cross the 90 mi (140 km) frozen Chukchi Sea to Siberia for help and food, leaving Blackjack and the ailing Knight behind.” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
The three men were never seen again.
“The three men were never seen again.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
Knight had scurvy; Ada cared for him until he died on June 23, 1923.
“Knight was affected by scurvy and was cared for by Ada until he died on June 23, 1923.” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
Ada taught herself to shoot a rifle to hunt and to defend the camp from polar bears.
“She taught herself to shoot a rifle and used it to hunt and defend the camp from polar bears.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
Ada’s diary entry about shooting a tea tin.
“I took empty tea tin and shot it I shot right in it, thats pretty good for first time shooting.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She gave Knight most of the food she hunted, cared for his bed sores and read to him.
“Ada gave Knight most of the food she laboriously hunted and trapped. She cared for his bed sores, read to him” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She typed a record of the day he died.
“Ada dutifully typed a record of the day he passed.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She made a stove from empty kerosene cans and built an observation deck to watch for polar bears.
“made a stove out of empty kerosene cans, and built an observation deck on top of the tent to watch for polar bears” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She built skinboats, trapped foxes and sewed warm clothes while suffering from scurvy.
“She built umiat, or skinboats, for hunting seals. She hunted birds, trapped foxes, collected eggs, and sewed warm clothes all while suffering from the symptoms of scurvy.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She sewed moccasins for her son.
“She even sewed her son a pair of moccasins to give to him upon her return to Nome.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
In August 1923 she woke to a noise and saw a ship through the fog.
“On August 20, 1923, Ada awoke to a noise outside her tent. She rushed outside and spied, breaking through the thick fog, a ship.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
From Harold Noice’s first words she knew she was the only survivor.
“But with the first few words spoken to her by Harold Noice, Stefansson’s associate, she knew that she was the only survivor.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She used her money to take her son to Seattle for tuberculosis treatment.
“Blackjack used the money she saved to take her son to Seattle, Washington, to treat his tuberculosis.” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
Although promised royalties from Stefansson’s book based in part on her diary, she received nothing.
“Although promised royalties from Stefansson’s book based in part on her diary, she received nothing.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
Her headstone reads ‘Heroine - Wrangel Island Expedition.’
“where her headstone reads, “Heroine - Wrangel Island Expedition.”” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
Newspapers called her the real ‘female Robinson Crusoe’.
“Some newspapers hailed her as the real “female Robinson Crusoe”.” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
Stefansson told them game would be plentiful and discouraged bringing more than six months of supplies.
“Stefansson discouraged them from bringing more than 6 months’ worth of supplies. He assured them that game would be plentiful on the island” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She hated the media circus around her.
“Blackjack was a quiet person and hated the media circus that developed around her” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
She lived to 85, dying on May 29, 1983.
“Ada followed him ten years later at age 85 on May 29, 1983” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
The men grew more aggressive toward her early on, as she became anxious and withdrawn.
“Ada became extremely anxious and withdrawn, which led to her neglecting the duties of cooking, cleaning, and sewing. This, in turn, caused them to grow more and more aggressive towards her.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She decided she had to survive for her son.
“She decided resolutely that she needed to survive for her son” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
When they landed the men celebrated, but as the ship left Ada was silent.
“When the group landed at Wrangel Island, the men celebrated their arrival, but as the ship that had brought them to the island left, Ada was silent.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
At the start she had no experience of hunting or trapping.
“Although at the start of the trip she had been completely inexperienced in hunting, trapping, and other survival skills” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
The salary was an amount unheard of to her.
“an amount unheard of to her at the time” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She had been misled to believe she would be one of many Alaska Native people on the crew.
“she had been misled to believe she would be only one of many Alaska Native people to join the crew” — Ada Blackjack, Wikipedia
The cat had been born on the ship the men took to Nome.
“The cat had been born on the ship the men had taken to Nome” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She typed the record so Stefansson would know the date of Knight’s death.
“let Mr Stefanssom know what month he” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
She ran to the beach expecting to see Crawford, Maurer and Galle.
“She ran down to the beach, expecting to see the faces of Crawford, Maurer, and Galle looking back at her.” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
The men called the cat their good luck charm.
“proclaiming that she was their good luck charm” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
The job would let Ada return to Nome with enough money to reclaim her son from the orphanage.
“she would return to Nome with enough to reclaim her son from the orphanage” — Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island, U.S. National Park Service
Sources consulted for this story: Ada Blackjack (Wikipedia, accessed 2026-10-25); Ada Blackjack: Stranded on Wrangel Island (U.S. National Park Service, accessed 2026-10-25). Every story is checked against its sources before it is published — how we verify stories.
Why this story is worth telling
She went for money to save her son and came back as the expedition’s only survivor.
