Gold Rush

Flora Delargy’s publication entitled Gold Rush is subtitled: The untold story of the First Nations woman who started the Klondike Gold Rush. Her beautifully illustrated work provides a gold mine of information. Don’t let the title confuse you; it’s not just about Shaaw Tláa (Kate Carmack), who is believed to be the first discoverer of gold in Bonanza Creek in the Yukon Territory of northwest Canada. Three other notable women of the Klondike are introduced: Martha Black, Belinda Mulroney, and Nellie Cashman. Ms. Delargy brings to light these largely unknown women pioneers of the Klondike Gold Rush in a refreshing and interesting hardcover book.

The book appears at first glance to be a large children’s book; however, readers young and old, instantly attracted to the artistic component accompanying the literature, will find inside a bold history of four women who chose to embark upon a unique challenge—the quest for gold. The Yukon Territory was touted as “No Place for Women” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer newspaper of 1898. Some women had something to say about that!

The author educates her readers by including maps, mining details, and lists of hiking and journey supplies; detailing methods of mining; and providing illustrations of the deep earth extraction process, a dangerous mining reality. These colorful, detailed, and exquisite illustrations, created by the author herself, help readers of all ages imagine the arduous journey required to reach the Yukon Territory and explore the difficult terrain in search of gold. Some of the women set up businesses to support the miners, recognizing a thriving opportunity at the time. The lives of the four women prior to embarking on such a trek is shared to inspire women, young and old, of any background, to overcome age-old challenges such as discrimination while encouraging them to dream big—get out there and seek their share of wealth and adventure.

Because Shaaw Tláa figures prominently as perhaps the “first” woman to find gold in her native territory, interesting information on the First Nations of that area is provided for readers. By the summer of 1897, steamers were carrying gold seekers to Bonanza Creek. The author reminds us of the environmental impact such an influx of hopefuls had on the indigenous people who had roamed those very areas for hundreds of years. Issues included disease, disregard for damage created by so many trekking on the routes used to get to gold fields, and ignorance of those who occupied the territory before all of the gold fever took hold.

Told in a simple yet sophisticated narrative style, this book would be the perfect addition to an upper elementary library or for adults in a public collection. Many of the illustrations span both pages of the open book, so even young children could express their thoughts on what the pictures might represent. The title is not representative of the whole of this creative piece of literature, but that is not enough to diminish the contribution that this book makes to women’s studies and historical literature in general. I highly recommend it, especially for those interested in Alaska, Canada, Seattle, the Gold Rush, First Nations peoples, and the history of women and their work.