A troubled trek begins
In 1929, the Canadian government—
inspired by the success of reindeer in Alaska—decided to buy a portion of the thriving herds and bring them east. The planned 18-month journey stretched to five brutal years. The team was beset by storms, stampedes, and dangerous run-ins with wolves along the route.
Area
Enlarged
Alaska
(U.S.)
CANADA
North
America
UNITED
STATES
Journey begins
December 26, 1929
Twelve men and
eight dogs set off
with 3,442 reindeer.
Journey ends
March 6, 1935
Some 2,370
reindeer arrive
at Kooryuak.
July 1931
Summer blizzard
causes a stampede
Nov. 1931–Mar. 1932
Backtrack 150
miles in search of
scattered herd
March
1933
Jan.
1934
May 1931
Stop for fawning
Tuktoyaktuk
Summer
1930
Inuvik
Howard
Pass
Naboktoolik
N.W.T.
Seward Pen.
Yukon
Alaska
(U.S.)
Canada
100 mi
100 km
Christine Fellenz, NGM Staff.
Sources: Dick North, Arctic Exodus; Stephen Bown,
”The Great Reindeer Project,” Canada’s History
A troubled trek begins
In 1929, the Canadian government—
inspired by the success of reindeer
in Alaska—decided to buy a portion
of the thriving herds and bring
them east. The planned 18-month
journey stretched to five brutal
years. The team was beset by
storms, stampedes, and dangerous
run-ins with wolves along the route.
Area
Enlarged
Alaska
(U.S.)
CANADA
North
America
UNITED
STATES
Seward
Peninsula
Journey begins
December 26, 1929
Twelve men and
eight dogs set off
with 3,442 reindeer.
N
60 mi
Naboktoolik
60 km
Summer
1930
Howard
Pass
May 1931
Stop for fawning
July 1931
Stampede
March
1933
Alaska
(U.S.)
Canada
Yukon
Jan. 1934
Mackenzie
River Delta
Tuktoyaktuk
Inuvik
Journey ends
March 6, 1935
Some 2,370
reindeer arrive
at Kooryuak.
Northwest
Territories
Christine Fellenz, NGM Staff.
Sources: Dick North, Arctic Exodus;
Stephen Bown, ”The Great Reindeer
Project,” Canada’s History