Making the Carry

This book chronicles the lives of John and Tchi-Ki-Wis Linklater, a legendary Indigenous couple, at the turn of the 20th century. John was a famed Métis guide, trapper, hunter and game warden, while his Anishinaabe wife, Tchi-Ki-Wis, was a talented craftswoman and expert weaver of traditional cedar-bark mats.

Their lives intersected with the changes taking place in canoe country as logging, mining, railway building and road construction transformed the lands of Indigenous Peoples. As a guide to wealthy Americans who came north to hunt, fish and conduct research, John Linklater was highly respected. Yet his clients knew little about his personal life and even less about his wife’s.

Timothy Cochrane, who has deep roots in the region as a U.S. National Park Service superintendent, dives into the archives to unearth details. He traces the Linklaters’ family lines and their connections to the Hudson’s Bay Company at the Red River Settlement, which became Winnipeg.

Making the Carry is enhanced by maps and illustrations, including many good photos of the Linklaters. Outdoor enthusiasts familiar with the region — which includes Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park, Michigan’s Isle Royale. National Park and Minnesota’s Superior National Forest — will enjoy exploring its Indigenous history, which until recently has been largely ignored.