As the first inland surveyor for the Hudson's Bay Company, Philip Turnor stands tall among the explorers and mapmakers of Canada. Accompanied by Cree guides and his Cree wife, Turnor travelled 15,000 miles by canoe and foot between 1778 and 1792 to produce ten maps, culminating in his magnum opus, a map that was the foundation of all northern geographic knowledge at that time. Barbara Mitchell's biography brings to life the man who taught David Thompson and Peter Fidler how to survey. In her search for Turnor's story, Mitchell discovers her own Cree-Orkney ancestry and that of thousands of others who are descendents of Turnor and his Cree wife.

Barbara Mitchell is an author, speaker, and human resources consultant. She is the coauthor of The Big Book of HR, The Essential Workplace Conflict Handbook, The Conflict Resolution Phrase Book, and The Essential HR Handbook. Most of her HR career was spent with Marriott International. Barbara is managing partner of The Mitchell Group and an innovative career transition coach.

Barbara Mitchell's profile page

"Mitchell's work adds substantially to a deeper knowledge of Turnor, his life, his work, and to the extent possible, his character. It provides the first close study of his background, writings, career trajectory, and contributions to the mapping of North America."

Jennifer Brown, author of Strangers in Blood: Fur Trade Company Families in Indian Country

"[M]arvelous and compelling…"

John Milloy, author of The Plains Cree and A National Crime