Damien P.

Whitehorse, Yukon

Yukon/Stikine Regional Heritage Fair

Dead Horse Madness

My project is about people who ran out of food on the Chilkoot or White Pass Trails and ate rotting horse meat. Because they ate rotting horse meat they went insane.

 

 

What was the most interesting thing you learned about your topic?

That some people would rather eat raw horse flesh that's been rotting in the sun than give up a hunt for gold that they'll probably never find.

What important lessons have you learned that you want to share with other Canadians?

That even though 1,000 pounds of gear seemed excessive, some people still didn't have enough because they stayed for too long. Always pack the right amount of appropriate equipment for your outings.

How would you compare your life today to the lives of those studied in your project?

A lot less people search for gold these days. People that go on the Chilkoot and White Pass Trails now are generally much more prepared.