Making the Carry: The Lives of John and Tchi-Ki-Wis Linklater

“Well researched and touching, at the heart of Timothy Cochrane’s story of the north–of the deep woods, the Indigenous people, the settlers, and the fur trade–is the marriage of Tchi-Ki-Wis and John Linklater, a true traditional Ojibwe nabem gaye wiw partnership. The accompanying photographs admit the reader further into the lives and times of the Linklaters and the history of Minnesota’s Arrowhead region.”–Linda LeGarde Grover, author of Gichigami Hearts: Stories and Histories from Misaabekong

“This deep dive into the story of Jack and Tchi-Ki-Wis Linklater, a Métis and Anishinaabe couple, brings our beloved border north woods to life like nothing I’ve ever read. This remarkable pair were a living bridge a century back as the canoe country transformed during the twentieth century. You’ll see the Boundary Waters in a whole new light.”–Paul Schurke, founder and director, Wintergreen Adventures

“I heard stories about Jack Linklater while I was growing up in Ely, Minnesota. The man I heard about was the consummate guide, hunter, trapper, musher, and game warden: all things that, as a boy, I aspired to. But all I heard were stories. Now, here is Timothy Cochrane’s biography, adding to the legendary Linklater’s extraordinary career. Jack, as revealed, was a commercial fisherman at Isle Royale, worked at the sawmills in Winton, and contributed his knowledge of the area’s biodiversity to science. His Lac La Croix Ojibwe wife, Tchi-Ki-Wis emerges in Cochrane’s book as Jack’s industrious helpmate and an extraordinary artist. Making the Carry is a valued contribution to Minnesota’s Indigenous history.”–Carl Gawboy, artist and author

“Local author Tim Cochrane hits all of the right notes with this book, a love story about a couple who lived through many hardships and significant changes that occurred in Canada, Minnesota, and Michigan’s Isle Royale. “–Cook County News Herald

“Cochrane’s rich depiction of the north country and the material conditions of this couple’s life is greatly enhanced by dozens of illuminating photographs.”–The Star Tribune

“A meticulously researched and carefully documented microhistory of Indigenous presence and influence on the Boundary Waters region and beyond.”–World History Encyclopedia

“This fascinating biography also includes rarely seen photographs, maps, and the Linklater family tree, giving the reader a deeper look at the lives and time of the Linklaters and their place in history. “–Northern Wilds

“Cochrane’s storytelling is rich in historical facts, photographs and maps. His writing is conversational, easy to follow.”–Chronicle Journal

“Besides being well written, the book is generously illustrated — with 65 black-and-white period-piece photos, 21 colour plates and four historical regional maps. “–Winnipeg Free Press

“A gripping biography that details the amazing lives of John Linklater and his wife Tchi-Ki-Wis.”–Anishinabek News

Timothy Cochrane was superintendent at Grand Portage National Monument for twenty years, where he worked closely with the Grand Portage Band of Anishinaabeg and the tribal council. His books include A Good Boat Speaks for Itself: Isle Royale Fishermen and Their Boats and Gichi Bitobig, Grand Marais: Early Accounts of the Anishinaabeg and the North Shore Fur Trade, both from Minnesota, and Minong: The Good Place–Ojibwe and Isle Royale.