As an author, Margaret Murie published several books with a purpose to expose readers to life in the Alaskan wilderness, and instill awareness of the need to protect these areas.
The first notable publication was “Two in the Far North”. This book documents the experiences and observations from the couple’s wildlife expedition in the Arctic region, educating readers on the diversity of animals and behaviours such as migration habits. It was also this book that sparked the interest of the public to want to protect these wilderness areas, as well as spurred Margaret to campaign for the WIlderness Act that was eventually passed in 1964.
Another publication was “Wapiti Wilderness”, a sequel to “Two in the Far North”, co-written by Margaret and her husband Olaus.
Wapiti staring contest, 10 October 2012. Source: Christopher Martin Photography
In this book, Margaret provided an account of life with her husband in Jackson Hole, their numerous nature adventures together, such as going camping, and hiking on various trails. Olaus described his career as a field biologist for the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey, and recalled stories from his wildlife encounters such as those of the elk. This book also featured stories of residents of Jackson Hole, as well as interesting encounters of wild animals that have made their way to the Murie household.
Olaus and Mardy Murie backpacking (date unknown). Source: Wilderness.net
Finally, “Island Between” is a novel about the life journey of Toozak, a young Inuit hunter.
Through this narrative, Margaret also presents the interactions of Eskimo culture with other cultures, by incorporating features of early Eskimo culture and ancient Eskimo myths. This novel also illustrate the relationship and impact which the Eskimo culture had on the environment.