I would like to clarify some details in your article on the awarding of the “Spud” Huestis award by the British Columbia and Yukon Chamber of Mines (T.N.M., Jan. 20-26/03).
The article says it was my contribution to the discovery of the Wolverine and Kudz Ze Kayah (KZK) deposits that led to my being given the award. To set the record straight I, unfortunately, had nothing to do with the discovery of KZK and can only lay claim to having been part of a team that rediscovered Wolverine. The original Wolverine showings were discovered in the early 1970s by an Archer Cathro crew consisting of Earl Jensen (now deceased) and Uwe Schmidt.
The KZK discovery was the first deposit found in the area, which had no record of exploration or mineralization. It was the skill of Cominco geologists Chris Schultz and the almost legendary prospecting ability of Bruce Mawer that led to the discovery. They would also tell you of the many individuals (too many to mention here) who contributed to that pioneering find. As explorationists we spend a lifetime striving to make such a discovery, sacrificing much and, for the vast majority of us, never achieving the ultimate end. It is because of the rarity of the event that I feel it important to put credit where it is due.
Mark Baknes
Westholme, B.C.
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