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During the Ely Winter Festival on Monday, Feb. 10 from 5-6 p.m., the Ely Winton Historical Society is hosting a presentation at the Minnesota North-Vermilion Campus theater to celebrate Carl Gawboy’s latest book: “Fur Trade Nation.” The event is free and open to the public.
“Fur Trade Nation: An Ojibwe’s Graphic History,” written and illustrated by Carl Gawboy explores the Fur Trade from an Ojibwe perspective, offering insights into Ojibwe life, kinship and clan systems, technologies, and puts Ojibwe women back at the heart of this remarkable era.
The fur trade was the first global trading system and the Ojibwe people were key players in a historical period that has shaped the geography, social structures, and history of Minnesota, and the nation. More than 800 pen and ink drawings, connecting historical records and art, oral traditions, Western and Indigenous scholarship, family history, and contemporary artisans, tell this important story.
This book was the first release by Animikii Mazina’iganan: Thunderbird Press.
“The book, the fur trade itself, is about how the Ojibwe Nation formed an interdependent, multicultural community and created something beautiful and unique,” said Gawboy, “That’s why I’m bringing this book to Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College’s press, where Ojibwe values educate a multicultural community to create something beautiful and unique.”
Gawboy is a member of the Bois Forte Band of the Minnesota Ojibwe, was born in Cloquet and raised in Ely by Finnish and Ojibwe parents. Gawboy taught for six years at University of Minnesota-Duluth and 12 years at the College of St. Scholastica teaching American Indian studies and watercolor painting.
He is currently retired and devotes much of his time to painting and writing. Rain Newcomb of Thunderbird Press and Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will be joining Carl in his presentation to discuss their process in creating Fur Trade Nation.
Gawboy and Newcomb will be attending via Zoom to present their story visually and will be available for questions from the audience.
“This book is brilliant!” wrote Tim Cochrane, Minnesota Book Award winning historian and former superintendent of the Grand Portage National Monument. “Gawboy weaves the ‘large picture’ of the fur trade into small pictures to illustrate the point and display his abundant sense of humor. This is a real treasure and his presentation wonderfully humanizes the story. There isn’t anything like this in the fur trade literature so it is a one-of-a-kind book.”
Copies of “Fur Trade Nation” will be available for purchase at this event. Gawboy’s other books and art prints will also be on sale. If you aren’t able to make it to the event in person, please visit the Ely Winton Historical Society Facebook page to find a Zoom link and attend virtually.
