Our Perfect Wild: Ray & Barbara Bane's Journeys and the Fate of Far North

About this book

Ray and Barbara Bane worked as teachers in Barrow and Wainwright Alaska in the early 1960sbut they didnt simply teach the children of their Iupiat Eskimo and Koyukon friends and neighbors: they fully embraced their lifestyle. Doing so they realized how closely intertwined life in the region was with the land and specifically how critical wilderness was to the ancient traditions and wisdom that undergirded the Native way of life. That slow realization came to a head during a 1 200-mile dogsled trip from Hughes to Barrow in 1974a trip that led them to give up teaching in favor of working through the National Park Service to preserve Alaskas wilderness. This book tells their story a tale of dedication and tireless labor in the face of suspicion resistance and even violence. At a time when Alaskas natural bounty remains under threat Our Perfect Wild shows us an example of the commitmentand lovethat will be required to preserve it.