Alone in silence : European women in the Canadian North before 1940

Kelcey details their struggles with the domestic realities of setting up a home or living in the hostile conditions imposed by the geography, as well as their need to adjust the way they worked. The rich sources left by Christian missionaries provide details of missionary women caught up in the zeal of their vocation but held within the confines of a paternal church. The letters and reports of the Grey Nuns who worked alongside the Oblate Fathers in the Mackenzie indicate the hardships imposed by their situation but also show how driven they were by their missionary purpose. Alone in Silence is the first book to address the anonymity of European women in the north. Kelcey draws from a diverse field of sources, making use of published and primary sources so scattered that there has been no previous sense of collective memories. By giving voice to this neglected group she offers a unique perspective on the vast literature on life in the north. It Has Been Estimated That Over 500 European Women Travelled Or Lived In Canada's Northwest Territories Before 1940. They Came As Visitors, Journalists, And Artists, Or Worked As Nurses, Scientists, And Missionaries. In Alone In Silence Barbara Kelcey Describes The Women Who Lived And Worked In The North And The Unique Situations They Faced. Alone In Silence Is The First Book To Address The Anonymity Of European Women In The North. Kelcey Draws From A Diverse Field Of Sources, Making Use Of Published And Primary Sources So Scattered That There Has Been No Previous Sense Of Collective Memories. By Giving Voice To This Neglected Group She Offers A Unique Perspective On The Vast Literature On Life In The North.--jacket. A Long While Between Dog Teams: Climate, Communications, And Isolation -- Meatless, Wheatless, And Sweetless Days: The Domestic Arrangements Of A Northern Home -- Speaking Of Me And Franklin: Women Travellers In The Arctic -- Travels With The More Realistic Sex In The 1920's And 1930's -- Standing In The Gap: Anglican Women And The Northern Mission -- Faith Inspires, Distinguishes, And Explains It: The Grey Nuns' Mission In The North -- White Women Have Strange Ways: Connections And Distinctions Between Cultures -- A Certain Amount Of Unpleasantness: One Woman's Encounter With The Holy Trinity Of The North. Barbara E. Kelcey. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "Over 500 European women travelled or lived in Canada's Northwest Territories before 1940. They came as visitors, journalists, and artists, or worked as nurses, scientists, and missionaries. Barbara Kelcey describes the women who lived and worked in the Territories, detailing their struggles with the hostile conditions imposed by its geography. The first book to address the anonymity of European women in the north, Alone in Silence draws from a diverse field of sources, making use of published and primary sources, and offers a unique perspective on the vast literature on life in the north." -- Publisher's Description It has been estimated that over 500 European women travelled or lived in Canada's Northwest Territories before 1940. They came as visiters, journalists, and artists, or worked as nurses, scientists, and missionaries. In Alone in Silence Barbara Kelcey describes the women who lived and worked in the north and the unique situations they faced.