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ArtsCultureHeritage9TuesdayNovember192013DoyouknowsomeoneinyourcommunityortheNWTwhohasbeenanoutstandingleaderrolemodelorvolunteerPleasetakethetimetonominatetheminoneofthefollowingfourcategories.NomineesmustbeofFirstNationdescent.2013AboriginalSportsCircleAwardsDinnerJanuary232014NOMINATIONSOPENNOWUNTILDECEMBER132013Formoreinformationpleasevisitwww.ascnwt.cawww.facebookAboriginalSportCircleNWTASCNWTcoachawardsportawardcommunitybuilderculturalawardHistorictrapperdiariesemergeonetweetatatimeAuthorusessocialmediatopublishgrandfathersjournalsfromNWTByMEAGANWOHLBERGInthefootprintsofhisgrandfatheroneCanadianauthorisexploringnewlit-eraryterrainbypublishingtheoldmanshistoricdiariesrecountingthetravailsandtriumphsoftrappingintheNorthwestTerritoriesduringthe1920sand30sonepostatatimeonTwitter.InspiredbyotherhistoricTwitteraccountswriterDer-rylMurphyaclosethistorybuffknownforhissci-andfantasystoriessetfootonalengthyadventurelastweekbycommittingtopostfourdiaryentrieseachdayonhisTwitteraccountTrapperBudfromhislategrandfatherCyrilBudMurphystraveldiariesdocumentinglifeasayoungtrapperintheNWT.Idohaveaninterestinandaloveofhistoryandthisisapersonalfamilyhis-torythatIthinkisworthyofbeingsharedMurphytoldTheJournalfromhishomeinSaskatoon.Murphydecidedtolaunchtheprojectinitiallyasawaytosharewithfamilymembersfromafarbutwithsomepro-motionbyothersocialmediasiteswithindayshehadal-readycollectedover500fol-lowersmostlystrangers.Whathasfollowedisnotjustthetellingofatalebutsome-thingmoreakintoconversa-tionasMurphyasksforhelpidentifyingplacenameslikeRedRiver-whichastrangerhelpfullysuggestspointstotheLittleRedRiverCreeNationinnorthernAlberta-andsharesoldphotosthathelpillustratehisgrandpasstory.ImhopingthatwellseemoreinteractionastimegoesonsaidMurphynotingthatitsbeenafunlearningexpe-rienceforhimsofar.ThatskeyIthinktothis.Ifsome-onecansayHeyIknowthatplaceorHeyIhadadistantrelativewhowasupthereatthesametimeanythinglikethatwouldbeofinteresttomeandImsureofinteresttoalotofthefollowersaswell.TheentriesstartwithBudandhisfatherMattMurphy-whomDerrylaffectionatelycallsGamp-takingofffromPeaceRiverAlta.onAug.301929andspendingweekstrav-elingdownriverchallengedbybadweatherbrokenbargeengineslostsuppliesandneardeathtonallywindupUpNorthintimefortrappingseason.McNamaraHotel-theMac-andwasafurtraderMurphysaidofhisgreat-grandfather.ButPeaceRiverwasfromwhatIunderstandtoobusyaplaceforhim.Hewasntthetypethatlikedtohangoutwithalotofpeoplesohelefthiswifebehind-hedcomeandvisithereveryonceinawhiletheywerestilltogether-andhewentupNorthandbegantotrap.Thenhecamebackin29whenmygrandfatherwaseither17or18andtookhimThatstalwartstrengthMurphysaidalsoturnsouttobeamotivatingfactorun-derlyingtheproject.Ifhedecidedtodosome-thinghedidit.HeduginandhefollowedthroughandthereforeIintendtodothesame.IhaventalwaysmatcheduptothatsortofexpectationthatheputonhimselfbutthisispartlyinhismemoryandImgoingtofollowitallthewaythrough.SofarMurphysaidhesbeenreceivingmanythanksfromotherhistoryfanslook-ingtofollowBudthroughhistrappingyears.ForthatMurphygivesfullcredittohisgrandfathersownfascinatingexistence.Ithinkweallliveimpor-tantlivesinonewayoranotherbutwhotheyreimportanttocanoftenvary.ButIthinkmygrandfatherslifehadifnotasignicantimpactthenasig-nicantseriesofintersectionswiththelivesofmanyothers.AndIthinkhismemoryde-servesbeingtakenouttoabroaderworld.ButwheretheyendevenDerrylhasyettondout.ImnotreadingaheadasidefromsettingupthetweetsafewdaysinadvanceMurphyshared.IwanttosortoffeellikeIminitforthersttimejustlikethepeoplewhoarefol-lowingtheTwitteraccount.Tomethatsmuchmoreinterest-ing.SoasImtypingsomethinginmyeyebrowwillberaisedorIllrememberthatonetimewhenhetoldmeaboutthatandthatskindofaneatfeeling.ThoughMurphyhasyettolearnallthespecicsofhistwopatriarchsadven-turesinthesubarcticheisfamiliarwithgeneralpiecesofthefamilyhistory.ItallstartedwithGampwhotookhisoldestsonNorthtotrapatArtilleryLakeandeventuallysetupalinealongtheBackRiverwhichtheydreturntooverthenextdecade.HedidalotofthingsinhislifespentalittlebitoftimeinPeaceRiverandevenforashortamountoftimemanagedtheNorthwithhimandgrandpawentforabout10years.TheMurphymenwereevenjoinedbyBudsyoungerbrotherNeillneartheendofBudsNorthernexploitsbutthetraditionaltrappinglife-styletuckeredoutwhenBudcamebacksouthtorestinEd-montonandstartafamily.Hepassedawayin2004.Oncegrandpawasdonewithithewasdonewithit.Ithinkhewasveryproudofthattimeinhislifebuthedmovedonandhadotherthingshewasproudof.MurphysinitialfeelingsaboutthejournalsincludepleasantsurprisenotaboutBudspersonalitybutatwhathedescribesasthedecentgrammarandspellingofhisteenagegrandfatherwhohesaidwasnotareader.WhatisnotsurprisinghesaidwasBudstenacityinkeep-ingthejournalsconsideringtheweathercrampedquartersandexhaustionhemusthavefeltattheendofeachday.IhaventalwaysmatcheduptothatsortofexpectationthatheputonhimselfbutthisispartlyinhismemoryandImgoingtofollowitallthewaythrough.DerrylMurphyTheMurphymentraveledNorthupthePeaceRiverbybargelikethisonephotographedin1925carryingfromleftMattMurphyJimCooleyFrankBuckleyandMalcolmandAllanStewart.Budwouldwriteonanythinghecouldgethishandsonlikethisfarmersledgerusedin1929.CyrilBudMurphydiedin2004attheageof92.FromleftMattMurphyJimCooleyMartinPetersonBudMurphyClarkeCroftandNeillMurphycirca1937inFt.Reliance.PhotoscourtesyofDerrylMurphy