showed me how to get a feed in; whether it was catching fish by the sea or stealing from the butcher, which I would rather NOT do again; played games with me; took me walking; helped me to cheer up when I was down; and helped me get to sleep and times when I couldn’t. He would also teach me the right ways of life and the correct paths to follow. I saw great wisdom and nobility in his eyes, and I admired him for that. What I think he saw in me was how open hearted I seemed to everybody and how I would never turn against anyone, or even fight them for that matter, even if some of them did seem like enemies. I never wanted to do anything to make my parents or any of my friends disapprove of me for bad or unwise things that I might have done; and since Boris was a parent of my own, I based that on him as well. He really admired me for that, and said that I was the perfect son for anyone, even if some of them did seem different or even thought differently about me. He added that the important thing to understand is that the only difference you will see is on the outside; when on the inside there is much more that what you think, and that is where it comes from: The real truth about anybody; which is who they truly are. Anyway, for almost a year he raised me, and I loved him like I had never loved anyone before. He really felt the same for me. He said that if he couldn’t have anyone to love, he could at least have me, and that was all that mattered to him. To have someone who he could love would keep him alive, and I felt the same for him. It was really that strong family connection that we shared while growing up together which kept us alive. I will always love him as a father. He will always be known to me as the father that I never had.

You also grew up with those polar bears, Muk and Luk, because it seemed that Boris was taking care of them as well. They were both mentally challenged and they seemed to be annoying to him. Did you feel the same way about them?

Look, to tell you the truth, they were really amusing to me. Their stupidity just got the best of laughs out of me and I know that they were just trying to be friendly. They would do some pretty silly and annoying things at times like playing games that didn’t quite appeal to Boris and I and continuously hug us in a friendly fashion, but in the end it was that sort of family connection that they wanted out of us; and I saw that sort of “brotherly love” in them. So in short, they were just so amusing and loving that I really couldn’t help admiring them. Boris, on the other hand, was a little more sensitive. They both referred him to as their “Uncle Boris” because he took care of them both and they loved him for it, but they both drove him crazy and he couldn’t stop scolding them for their stupidity. He was like a very strict parent who wanted to see the mature side of everyone and not put up with the stress of immaturity. But no matter how old they got, their mental side just wouldn’t leave them, and that is how they will always be. They cannot be changed. Boris understands that and just has to continue to put up with them.

Did you ever go into town much?

It was really something that I couldn’t help doing because I wanted to see the sights of town and even attempt to make new friends. I especially loved to watch the dog sled races that were held annually in town, because I was very passionate about racing, like my father. But I knew that going into town wasn’t safe because humans and other dogs would see the wolf side about me and they would tease and hurt me, or even kick me out of town. Boris was never comfortable about going into town either, because humans eat geese and he was scared that a human would take his head off. Anyway, as it turned out, many dogs didn’t trust me and wouldn’t talk to me. Some said that I didn’t belong in their world and that I should go back and join a wolf pack. Either they were saying that to make fun of me or they were saying that as a manner of wisdom in me to make the right choice about belonging. As for the humans, they just kept kicking me and chasing me away. They were never fooled by my appearance and they knew immediately what they had to do. Luckily I was never hunted though, because hunting dogs and wolves is supposed to be illegal in Alaska. It was exactly what I expected from what my mother taught me about what I would have to put up with being a hybrid.

What were you feeling about being prejudiced against?

It was very painful and it hurt my feelings. Every night I just kept thinking about making the choice of staying or leaving to join another wolf pack; and if I made the wrong choice, I would be better off dead. But it was hard for me to go back to the wolves because I was afraid that they would treat me just the same as the humans and dogs of the town, and I would never be accepted as a hybrid. But over time I kept thinking again and again what my mother had told me I must do to become accepted. It was hard trying to figure out what to do, but I couldn’t give up. I just had to keep the faith and keep believing. That included giving others time to see my true side. If they could eventually see that, maybe they would change the way that they see things.

Was there anyone who did see your true side?

Mainly Jenna and her owner Rosie; who was one of the children struck down by diphtheria at the time. Jenna was someone who never judged anyone by appearance and saw who they were on the inside. She felt for me every time I was being picked on and saw the innocence within my eyes. She would even tell the others to leave me alone, even if she knew they would ignore her and continue to play games with me. After seeing her beauty as well as how much she stood up for me, I started having feelings for her, and I wanted to tell her how I felt. As for Rosie, she was the same as Jenna. She saw that I wouldn’t hurt anybody and considered me a dog that deserves to have a home of his own. She wanted to play with me but her parents kept kicking me away from her. They never trusted me. It wasn’t fair at all. Why couldn’t they see the true side of me like their own dog and daughter? It just didn’t make sense. So it was mainly their belief in me that kept me going.

Of all the dogs and humans who prejudiced against you, Steele picked on you and hurt you more than anyone. Was there something about him that made his heart so black?

I think that it was mainly his passion for racing and the fact that he was the famous sled racing dog of the town of Nome. Everyone admired him for his fame; and Steele took advantage of that. His fame put so much pride into him that he kept thinking too much about himself and not others. He was just so proud about being popular that he forgot about friendship and loyalty. No one else seemed to notice though. And on that day where Steele and his team won another race for the third year in a row, I ran alongside him and his team just to get Rosie’s hat from the finish line; and I outran him. His Norwegian musher, Gunnar Kaasen, mentioned that Steele was loosing his edge and that any other dog could outrun him. I think that he was starting to feel threatened by me and that I might steal his thunder. He really loved his job and he didn’t want anyone to take anything away from him, especially not someone with wolf blood. That is why his prejudice grew stronger against me, and he did some things that turned everyone against me. I really wanted to tear him apart and be free from his prejudice, but other dogs were watching out for him; and if they saw me fighting Steele, they would really see the wolf in me and would try to banish or even kill me. I just couldn’t let the wolf in me get out, metaphorically speaking, or else no one would accept me. So with Steele, he would never accept me for who I was because he was controlled by his pride and his greed. I really didn’t know why Steele acted that way, but there must have been a reasonable explanation; if only I knew what it was.

Where did you first get the idea of the “Northern Lights” and were they used for anything in particular?

Well first of all it’s really something that I came up with myself. When I was about a year old I explored around Nome and found this boiler room in the middle of town; and inside there was this other entrance to an underground area below the floorboards of other buildings. This led to the underground of the floors of the town hospital, where open floor grids allowed visibility to the insides of buildings. This place was certainly good enough for eavesdropping on what humans would have to say for one thing. Pretty cheeky thing to do though (Laughs). Anyway, it was this place where I found broken coloured bottles. I really didn’t know how they got under there. I then saw inside the building from the floor grid a lantern shinning. That then got me thinking about how the sunlight deflects off the polar ice caps and makes the coloured lights of the Aurora borealis. Of course at high latitude near the North Pole where we are on the earth, this is the only place to see the Aurora borealis; and of course if you are near the South Pole you would see the Aurora australis. Anyway, I got this idea that if you put the lights closer to the coloured broken bottles, the beam will shine through the bottles and illuminate the walls with the coloured lights of the Aurora borealis, or the Northern Lights. I tested it and it worked, just like how the sun and the ice caps make up the lights. I then thought that they might be useful in lighting up the dark of night and providing a light for those who needed to find their way. I showed the Northern Lights to Jenna on our first date under the building, and she thought it was beautiful. I think that she was