Born: 1916, Chukotka, Russia Died: 1974, British Columbia, Canada
Nita was born in Chukotka, on the Siberian side of the Bering Strait, to Chukchi parents. Her exact date of birth is uncertain but is officially given as 1.1.1916. Nita’s mother died young and it was her struggling father, Kakot, who brought her into Roald Amundsen’s life.
On 2 January 1921, Kakot came aboard the polar ship Maud, which was then ice-bound off Cape Serdtse-Kamen (“Cape Heartstone”). Nita was ill and Kakot was seeking help for his daughter. The little girl was treated on board and quickly improved. The crew nicknamed her Kakonita, often shortened to Nita.
Kakonita sleeping aboard Maud. Photo: Norwegian Polar Institute / National Library of Norway.
A few months later, the six-years-older Camilla Carpendale also came onboard, and both girls were with Amundsen when he left the Maud in May 1921.
Camilla (left) and Nita on the ice before leaving Maud. Photo: Follo Museum, MiA.
Nita, Camilla and Amundsen travelled to Seattle, where the girls had their first experiences of cinema, zoos, fireworks and amusement parks. After a few months, their journey continued to New York with Elise Wisting, where she and the girls boarded DS Stavangerfjord to sail to Norway in January 1922.
In Norway, the girls moved into Amundsen’s home at Svartskog. In the periods when Roald Amundsen was away, the girls were looked after by his brothers Leon and Gustav and their families. They also went several times to the Wistings’ home in Horten. Nita and Camilla started at the local Bålerud school, where they made friends and impressed with their language skills.
Friends at Svartskog. Standing from left: Camilla, Randi Nilsen. In front: Nita, Inger Østelid, Kari Larsen. Photo: Tomm Ivar Svensen.
After two years in Norway, Nita and Camilla were again on the move. Roald Amundsen was having major financial problems and would file for bankruptcy in September 1924. One consequence was a bitter conflict with his brother Leon, who was one of his biggest creditors. With the developing situation threatening Nita and Camilla’s essential network at Svartskog, it was decided that they should return to Chukotka.
Initially, just after Christmas 1923, the girls travelled to Denmark with Amundsen’s business partner Haakon Hammer and his wife. The girls were enrolled at Marie Mørk’s boarding school in Hillerød, and lived there from January to June 1924 before returning to Norway.
The last day Amundsen and the girls spent together in Norway was 20 September 1924.
On 4 December 1924, Nita and Camilla began their journey by boat to America. In San Francisco, they were found accommodation in an orphanage with the help of the Norwegian Consul Nils Voll, but were unhappy there and so moved into the Voll family home. The girls’ time in America was difficult at first, and their lack of identification papers made the trip further north problematic. Nevertheless, they eventually secured passage on a boat to Nome, Alaska, and from there across the Bering Strait, back to East Cape and to Camilla’s family, who also took in Nita.
In 1926, Camilla and Nita moved to Poulsbo, a Scandinavian community outside Seattle. In spring 1927, Amundsen was in America and learned that the girls were in Poulsbo, so with the press looking on, he and the girls met for the last time.
Some sources claim that Amundsen and Charlie Carpendale agreed that Nita would return to Norway and Uranienborg in 1928, but this never happened.
In a 1943 interview with a newspaper in Canada, Nita talks about growing up, travelling to Norway, and about Amundsen. Finally, she is asked if she thinks Amundsen is still alive: “I used to think he was and hoped I might see him again. But I do not believe he is alive.” (Source: Edmonton Journal, 10/23/1943)
Nita trained as a teacher and eventually settled in Kamloops, a city east of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. In the 1940s, she gave several lectures on her life, describing the trip to Norway as “the great adventure”. She is said to have told of a ship’s bell that Amundsen used to wake them up at Svartskog, of their visit to the royal family at the Palace, how sad it had been to say goodbye to friends at Svartskog, and their last meeting with Amundsen in 1927.
In 1953 she married Leonard Vaillancourt, with whom she had two sons and a daughter.
Nita Kakot Amundsen Vaillancourt died in 1974 and was buried in British Columbia.
The photograph of Nita that still stands on the office desk in Amundsen’s home. Photo: Follo Museum, MiA.
Read more about the story of Nita, Camilla and Roald Amundsen in the book Kapp Hjertestein, written by Espen Ytreberg (2018).
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage, 1903-06. A tinted photograph of him hangs in Amundsen’s home.
The girls Nita and Camilla Carpendale went to Norway and Svartskog together with Amundsen in 1922 where they lived until 1924. The girls called Amundsen “Grandpa”.
Betty was one of the key women in Amundsen’s life. She was the nanny when he grew up, and when Amundsen moved to Svartskog, she joined him and moved into the gatehouse, which became “Betty’s house”.
Eivind Astrup became one of the world’s most experienced polar explorers of his time and a great role model for Roald Amundsen. He chose to end his life when only 24 years old.
Roald Amundsen had strong feelings for Kristine Elisabeth “Kiss” Bennett. She visited Uranienborg several times, but even though Amundsen transferred ownership of it to her, she never moved in.
The girls Nita and Camilla Carpendale went to Norway and Svartskog with Amundsen in 1922 and lived there until 1924. The girls called Amundsen “Grandpa”.
Sigrid Flood Castberg, often called “Sigg”, was one of the women Amundsen had a relationship with. But when Amundsen proposed, she was already married and wanted to wait, and when she was ready he wanted…
Håkon Hammer met Roald Amundsen in Seattle in 1921. He quickly became a collaborator and supporter, but was later named by Amundsen as one of the reasons for his personal bankruptcy.
Participated in the Maud expedition, but left the expedition in 1919, together with Peter Tessem. Both perished. What really happened to them is still unknown.
The Alaska Inupiaq called Elizabeth Magids “Queen of the Arctic”, Amundsen’s crew referred to her as “the mysterious lady”. Amundsen called her “Bess”. She went to live with Amundsen in Norway in 1928….
Participated as a research assistant on the Maud expedition, and as a meteorologist on the Norge expedition. Died on Umberto Nobile’s airship expedition in 1928.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of him decorates a window in Amundsen’s home.
Nobile was the airship engineer whom Amundsen criticized after the expedition in 1926. During the search for his wrecked expedition in 1928, Roald Amundsen disappeared.
Joined the Maud expedition after visiting the ship in Khabarovsk. Also participated in the Norge expedition, but was left out from the actual voyage across the Arctic Ocean.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of her hangs in Amundsen’s home.
One of the Netsilik Inuit Amundsen met during the expedition through the Northwest Passage 1903-06. A coloured picture of him decorates a door in Amundsen’s home.