Customer Reviews

The Great Reindeer Caper: The Missionary and the Miners

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After reading professor Ornulf Vorren's book about the Laplanders who emigrated to Alaska, I found that Rinaldo has not told us the whole truth about the reindeers. The fact is that the Laplanders were invited by the US Government to come to Alaska to teach the Inuits reindeer herding. On Dec.31 1893 a lot of US Newspapers had an advert about this: they wanted Laplanders to Alaska. In 1894 the first group came from Kautokeino in Norway. Theys started off with reindeers from Siberia. In 1898 a new group came from Norway, and also 500 reindeers. Here is where Rinaldo is starting his story, but is continues long after Rinaldo has ended his: a lot of reindeers where spread all over Alaska and both Laplanders and Inuits became reindeers owners an herders. Several Laplanders made a fortune in Nome and Klondike. One of the Laplanders, Anders Aslaksen Bær, Americanaized to Andrew Bahr, made a famous trek in 1929 together with 5 Laplanders and Inuits and 3000 reindeers from west coast of Alaska to McKenzie in canada. It lasted for 6 years! (Max Miller: "The Great Trek"). Read the whole story about the Laplanders in Alaska - not oonly Rinaldos!!!!

Peter M. Rinaldo, in THE GREAT REINDEER CAPER, THE MISSIONARY AND THE MINERS, has contributed an original and detailed study of a specific topic in Alaska history. With primary resources of U.S. Government documents, and the newspaper accounts written at that time period, and Alaska history books, Rinaldo put the story together. His great uncle Peter Laird Trout's memoirs of his gold prospecting days in 1894 and 1897, inspired Rinaldo to write this book.

I have two gold rush diaries, 1898-1900, belonging to Ohioans, who mentioned meeting lost Laplanders and reindeer November 27, 1899. The Laplanders were seeking a man named Hendricks on the Chena & Tanana Rivers. I questioned such a unique remark in their diaires and I began seeking the full story. I typed the words "reindeer and Alaska" on the Amazon.com Search, and Rinaldo's book came up. Rinaldo told the story, with facts, human interest stories, and quotes from his uncle's memoirs.

Anyone interested in the history of Alaska, and who smiles at the U.S. Government and its great schemes to help Alaska, should read this book. When the public learns about this book, it should be Number 1 on the Best Seller List.

I personally thank Peter M. Rinaldo for his dedication and scholarship in his writing of this book.

Joyce Alig, Director aalig@wabash.bright.net