John Jamieson
In 1611, mutineers cast Henry Hudson, his son and eight crewmembers into a small boat and set them adrift in James Bay. They disappeared from history, their ending never uncovered. But a young, eighteen-year-old Inuit woman decided that the drifting boat could have reached the Belcher Islands. A recreation of the ’drift’, attracting national attention, would be an excellent way to cast a light on the poor economic conditions in the community-a strong shout for government to act.Initially custom-adopted from a Quebec woman into a family on the Belcher Islands, she is ’fostered’ by a couple of teachers and moved to Ottawa where she developed skills to manufacture realistic archaeological artifacts. With a tested I.Q. of 160 and turning down an offer of a full scholarship in the United States, she moved back to the island community, without a high school diploma. A letter from a researcher suggested that he saw a grave, perhaps Henry Hudson, on the southern part of the island. A committee is formed to recreate the ’drift’ and the young teenager becomes a central figure.This historical fictional story includes many real people and real events, and it is woven into a tale that many Arctic dwellers can relate. The Arctic is a gigantic theater of mystery, embellished with touches of humor, and home to a cast of ’unique’ characters. The reader will learn the benefits of deception and the ’paranormal’ world of polydactyly as they search for Henry Hudson.