Erik Simula

Finland, MN
Erik is a master birch bark canoe builder and former national park ranger at Grand Portage National Monument. Inspired by Finnish, Saami, and Anishinabe art and culture, Erik skis or hikes to his cedar sauna-home in the woods. Hunting, trapping, fishing, harvesting wild rice, netting fish, and hauling ice and firewood by dog team contribute to Erik's subsistence lifestyle. A former outdoor skills instructor for Voyageur Outward Bound and Vermillion College in Ely, Minnesota, Erik's many skills include being a logsmith, dogsled builder, snowshoe-maker, and wilderness guide.