Taissumani, March 18

In the early years of the last century, many white trappers and traders made their livings in the Central Arctic, trapping especially for white foxes when prices were near their peak and demand was high.

One of those men was Peter Brandt, a trapper who had worked for some years in the area.

Another man, Fritz Schurer, a native of Germany, arrived there in 1931. He had emigrated to the United States and become a naturalized American citizen before journeying to Detention Harbour in Coronation Gulf as the second mate of a trading ship.

There, he had left the ship to try his luck at trapping. He had no money and, worse, no experience. And so he made an arrangement with Peter Brandt. Brandt provided him with a complete trapping outfit, with the undertaking that Schurer would repay him in furs.

In 1933, Schurer came to an agreement with an Inuk woman that she would prepare suitable winter garments for both men. The woman in question was from Alaska, and her name was Kobvella. She became the subject of dispute between the two men, both of whom thought they should have her exclusive attention.

Fritz Schurer, apparently believing that possession was nine-tenths of the law, left Detention Harbour with the lady on Dec. 1. In effect, he kidnapped her.

Kobvella did not take kindly to being abducted. What happened next is told from her statement at her preliminary hearing for murder aboard the police vessel, St. Roch, in January 1934:

“One day when I was riding on the sled with Fritz, he got mad all of a sudden about Pete, and many times he got mad about Pete because I sew clothes for him, and when Fritz got mad he talked about killing Pete. I know nothing else but me making clothes for Pete that makes him mad. The first time Fritz got mad with me he threatened me with a knife…

“Later I was packing things, primus stove and something ready to leave the camp when Fritz brought his rifle in the snowhouse and did not say anything. He loaded the rifle, I saw him put shells in it, but I did not say anything. I thought he may be going off hunting. After he loaded the rifle he put the case on and then he said for the first time, ‘I’m going to kill Pete,’ and I said, ‘No,’ as I did not believe him… Fritz said many times when he got mad, ‘I am going to kill Pete,” and after he had brought the rifle in and loaded it he said he was going to meet Pete at the house then he was going to shoot him, as I worked too much for Pete.

“In the morning when Fritz was putting on his boots I went to get the rifle to shoot him. He must have seen me uncasing the gun and made for me, and I took a shot at him right there and knocked him down. Before taking another shot at him I said to him, ‘You say something to me I do not understand,’ and he say ‘Ah” when he heard me. Then I take another shot at him, and he still alive and tried to get up, and I took another shot at him, and must have hit him near the heart or backbone. He died.

“At the time he loaded up the rifle I think he going to kill me as well as Pete as before he had threatened me with a knife and I could not get out of killing him. I think Fritz know better than me about things, and should not talk about killing Pete. I did not want to kill anybody and I shot Fritz to stop him from killing Pete and myself.”

Brandt told the police that he and Schurer had been on good terms, but that he had tried to dissuade Schurer from taking Kobvella with him on his trapping excursion.

The police aboard the St. Roch decided to take no formal action against Kobvella. She was sent back to Alaska, to her own Inupiat people.

Taissumani recounts a specific event of historic interest. Kenn Harper is a historian, writer and linguist who lives in Iqaluit. Feedback? Send your comments and questions to kennharper@hotmail.com.