Episode
15: Stranded in Isle Royale National Park with Windigo
48:34
Published: Mon May 03 2021
Description
Pack your bags and bring plenty of supplies, who knows how long you will be joining us in Isle Royale National Park. In this episode we are taking you back to the 1800s during the Copper Rush around Lake Superior. When an indigenous woman and her French-Canadian voyageur husband are asked to head to Isle Royale to scope out copper they agree to stay there for three months during the summer, but when no one comes back for them they need to figure out how to survive the harsh winter of northern Michigan. With starvation and the spirit of Windigo lurking, surviving this winter is going to be extremely difficult. We love our National Parks and we know you do too but when you're out there, remember to enjoy the view but watch your back. Please take a moment to rate and subscribe from wherever you’re listening to NPAD! Become part of our Outsider family on Patreon to gain access to ad-free episode, bonus content and more. Follow our socials Instagram, Facebook , and Twitter. To share a Trail Tale, suggest a story, access merch and browse our book recommendations - head over to our website. Sources: Mikel B. Classen On The Road. Canadian Connections. Encyclopedia.com. Links to background music used in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o3cOH70C-0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gQd2owV2aE&t=136s
Chapters
The speaker shares their experience on a hiking trail and encourages others who are afraid of heights to do the same as they did not find the trail to be a deterrent.
00:00 - 03:30 (03:30)
Summary
The speaker shares their experience on a hiking trail and encourages others who are afraid of heights to do the same as they did not find the trail to be a deterrent. They also describe encountering a Wendigo on the trail.
Episode15: Stranded in Isle Royale National Park with Windigo
PodcastNational Park After Dark
The French-Canadian voyager, Charlie Montt and his wife Angelique, were among the thousands of people lured by the Copper Rush to Isle Royale National Park where they spent a harsh winter.
03:30 - 14:10 (10:39)
Summary
The French-Canadian voyager, Charlie Montt and his wife Angelique, were among the thousands of people lured by the Copper Rush to Isle Royale National Park where they spent a harsh winter. They encountered the Windigo, a creature with human and animal features, as well as a strong cultural significance in Anishinaabe folklore.
Episode15: Stranded in Isle Royale National Park with Windigo
PodcastNational Park After Dark
Mendenhall had plenty of supplies that he could use in La Pointe, and he was paying for them to go to the island, so there was no need for the two men to collect so much food and supplies.
14:09 - 20:09 (05:59)
Summary
Mendenhall had plenty of supplies that he could use in La Pointe, and he was paying for them to go to the island, so there was no need for the two men to collect so much food and supplies. However, when returning to the area, they realized that they would need extra power to bring a piece of copper off the island.
Episode15: Stranded in Isle Royale National Park with Windigo
PodcastNational Park After Dark
A couple stranded on an icy, cold island had to resort to eating bark, roots, and berries after they lost their ability to catch fish.
20:09 - 24:28 (04:19)
Summary
A couple stranded on an icy, cold island had to resort to eating bark, roots, and berries after they lost their ability to catch fish. They did not hunt or trap, possibly due to lack of tools.
Episode15: Stranded in Isle Royale National Park with Windigo
PodcastNational Park After Dark
The book explores the death rituals of various cultures including the Anishinaabe people, who believe the soul faces temptations of different berries during a four-day journey after death.
24:28 - 30:36 (06:08)
Summary
The book explores the death rituals of various cultures including the Anishinaabe people, who believe the soul faces temptations of different berries during a four-day journey after death. Other cultures include offering food and tobacco to the spirit and putting birchbark matches in coffins to ask the creator to light the spirit's path to the afterlife.
Episode15: Stranded in Isle Royale National Park with Windigo
PodcastNational Park After Dark
Native peoples took on some religious beliefs of the Christian settlers.
30:36 - 39:50 (09:14)
Summary
Native peoples took on some religious beliefs of the Christian settlers. A woman who lost her partner to death due to frigid weather was afraid of becoming a windigo if she ate his flesh, and she left him in her shelter due to her beliefs.
Episode15: Stranded in Isle Royale National Park with Windigo
PodcastNational Park After Dark
A documentary was produced by a Native American woman to shed light on the strength of indigenous women, as there is little history on this topic.
39:51 - 46:07 (06:15)
Summary
A documentary was produced by a Native American woman to shed light on the strength of indigenous women, as there is little history on this topic. The film highlights the story of an indigenous woman named Mendenhall who sent a ship for supplies that never arrived, and addresses the issue of cannibalism in certain cultures.
Episode15: Stranded in Isle Royale National Park with Windigo
PodcastNational Park After Dark
The speaker discusses how a woman's beliefs were incorporated into her survival story.
46:07 - 48:27 (02:20)
Summary
The speaker discusses how a woman's beliefs were incorporated into her survival story. The podcasters request listener stories for future episodes.