A "shout out" to women everywhere, particularly those in the mining and exploration industry.

1. “The Working
Skirt.”
A “clumsy” shout out to women. Particularly those in the
exploration and mining industry.
One humbled males observations.
Author: Bill Koe’-Carson
Nothing trumps a motivated lioness...

2. I was not quite five when I received my first lesson, in 1969. Until then I
thought girls were “soft”, not like us rough tough boys. I thought I could
muscle in on the salted dough at the play table, being used by a little girl
that usually always shared. I’m sure I was arrogant and rude. In one calm,
fluid motion she introduced my arrogant little head to her rolling pin. Seems
I mistook kindness for weakness. My first lesson. “Little girls are not soft,
just benevolent.” It was the last time I ever tried to take anything from a girl
without permission. Perhaps she was enlightened to the women’s move-
ment, gaining momentum in the 60’s. Maybe she just had a mean streak…
Regardless, lesson learned. Thank you, little girl.
If you are a modern woman reading this you probably found the archaic
phrase used as the title a bit “obtuse”. Rightfully so. If that’s what made you
click to read this then please be assured no offence or any kind of negative
implication was meant. Quite the contrary in fact.
I will be completely honest and say that I wrote this article in order to be
linked to my company website. We are dedicated to responsible and ethical
development and take time to recognize other ethical and positive actions
or changes within the mining and exploration industry through links and
“shout outs.” I wanted to include a shout out to all women and particularly
those in the industry. Women have been, and are, affecting positive and
ethical changes on a daily basis. I hope my offering is taken lightly, maybe
found entertaining and perhaps even educates. Who knows, I might even
get some exposure for the company out of it.
I think we can all agree there have been a great many changes in the last
50 years or so. These are some of my personal observations regarding the
progress of women, or more accurately, how women changed my boorish
perceptions. Though let me be quick to point out I am far away from being
qualified to give educated rhetoric on the subject. These are my personal
“life lessons” and observations from the 60’s to the present.
In my opinion the biggest positive impacts women have had are not in how
modern women govern themselves, but in the progress women have
achieved in changing the male perception of female ability. Not through
protesting, using “feminine wiles” or trickery. By just quietly doing. As
women always have. Without fanfare, chest beating or a lot of preamble.

3. Much later, another lesson. At the grand age of twenty summers, I cut
my teeth in the resource exploration industry. Now, women in the work
force was nothing new to me. Heck, I had a female boss at the Saan
store before this job, and one at Woolco before that. I was even “wowed”
as a lad in England by Maggie Thatcher (what a lady!). Oh yes, I was
most enlightened.
Then, I was shown that I really wasn’t. The operative word here is
“shown”. Not yelled at, belittled or coerced (though I likely deserved all
that), just shown.
The industry was oil exploration, seismic to be specific. It was the mid
eighties and the world had come a long way from shoving poor orphaned
children up chimneys and from blaming women for the brutish actions of
men. But it was a long way from where it is today too. Safety was a bit
vague, hourly pay was slim and working hours were apparently unlimited.
Working 7 days a week, often for months at a time, anywhere from 14 to
18+ hours a day. Usually during bitter cold winters in northern wilderness
regions. The “boys” talked about women working the job but, like tales of
a Sasquatch sighting, it was very rare and stories could not be effectively
backed up with any kind of real evidence.
One day, word came down that two new helpers (Jughounds) had been
hired. It was going to be up to me to train them as they were “green”. Not
super unusual, turnover in those days was fairly high and I had been able
to learn, show my colours and move up quickly. That afternoon there they
were. Nose studs, short hair, work gear and… breasts.
I tried to act casual, as if this were a normal occurrence for me. After all,
was I not most enlightened? No, I wasn’t. I was a jackass that in typical
male arrogance only thought I was “enlightened”. Fact is I was rattled.
How dare they? Probably going to waste my time and make veins stand
out on my neck in the process. No way would they last. I’ve always been
physically pretty darn capable and the first to pile in to get a hard job
done. I truly believed they didn't have what it took to do the job effectively.
Sorry, it was the eighties and I was 20. Just know that I have evolved
much since then. There’s little point to the story if I am not honest with the
reader, and myself. I shamefully underestimated those women and
came to realize that, until then, had been doing so to women all my life.

4. Those women not only learned the basics very quickly, they were also
able to discover new techniques that compensated for their natural slight
build or reconciled their ethics. A distinctly female trait I have noticed all
you women have and is a thought process which you are able to apply
solving many other problems with great aplomb.
Those women were usually first out of the truck, became the fastest at
packing gear through the bush and skilled at handling the equipment. If
they were tired, cold, hungry or miserable it didn’t matter to them. They
quietly just “got on with it.” They outlasted most of the original crew,
which had quit. Ending the season on completion of the program and
leaving an indelible mark on at least one young mans perspective.
Naturally, being male, I didn’t spend a lot of time berating myself for my
wrongheadedness, but it was as if my eyes had been opened for the first
time. Everywhere I looked I now saw competent capable women in all
manner of positions taking on all manner of responsibilities. Just quietly
“getting on with it.”.
As I “matured” (I use the term loosely) and throughout a colourful career
in resource exploration my respect for women's abilities only grew. I have
seen women make large machinery do things even the manufacturers
didn’t know it could do, pull off career risks that would make the most
hardened gambler quail, take on hardships and responsibility that most
grizzled veterans would have nightmares about and they did it all in a
manner that suggested they were just “getting on with it.”
More recently, in 2011, I was most privileged to be involved in creating
and administering some courses for Yukon Youth, in partnership with the
Yukon Mine Training Association, Yukon College, Industry contributors
and the most gracious Nacho Nyak Dun (Big River) People of the Mayo
area. Quite close to the mineral claims being ethically and responsibly
advanced by my company.
I was most pleased to see that the intake for the courses had managed to
attract young women for almost half the student compliment. Well, if I
thought I was getting a handle on the pace of feminine advancement,
then I was in for an exponential wake up call.

5. Those young women were almost frightening! Not in their manner or
social engagement. They were all most pleasant in that regard, and all
that I suppose being “feminine” implies. But frightening in the remarkable
gusto with which they approached everything. They embraced challenge
and fear like an old friend. They dived into generator maintenance, power
tool use, camp construction, oil stove maintenance, orienteering, map
reading, quad certification, computer use, online certification for safety
courses and a First Line Supervisor course as if their lives depended on
it. Meanwhile, in their off time, showed the boys how to bead, sew, work
with rawhide, make bush medicine and prepare a meal for the camp.
The core saw is a terrifying tool for anyone that has never used one.
I visibly saw them swallow their fear and then confidently approach that
lesson without hesitation, succeeding with dignity.
They were all able to successfully achieve their P.A.L. certification
(possession and acquisition licence - firearms). During the hands on
practical portion, a 12 gauge pump action shotgun was used. The young
women watched the boys shoot first, taking note in how those hefty lads
were getting pushed back a step from the kick on that 12 gauge beast
when it roared. Fear was certainly prevalent on their faces. The heck if
you would know it though from the way they stepped up when their turn
came. They cycled the pump, sucked that monster into their shoulder,
leaned in and pulled the trigger. Not a single one of them hesitated, not a
single one of them closed their eyes, not a single one of them took a step
back on the shot. I was witness to a dozen young women going from
fearful to fanatical with one pull of the trigger. They used up all the P.A.L.
instructors shells and a whole bunch that I had brought too.
Any lingering remnant of archaic perceptions concerning the “roles” of
men and women I may still have had were dispelled like (gun) smoke in
the wind in the face of what I was witnessing with this “next generation” of
modern competent women. Was I perhaps seeing the next step in human
evolution before my very eyes? Was I now seeing “Femininus Superious”
preparing to take on the world? If so, no doubt it will be in a manner that
will simply be “getting on with it.” Although I doubt it will be so quietly, nor
should it be. I believe the future “modern woman” is actually the future of
humanity as we reach more turning points and crossroads in our ethical
evolution as a species responsible for all other species in a fragile world.

6. Men and women are different, physically, and to some degree the
thought process. Nature made it that way, and together it really works.
I actually thought I was thinking “progressively” in the belief men and
women both brought different, equally valuable, things to the table. But,
as I have gotten a little older, and more experienced, I see that when you
boil it down women actually bring exactly the same things to the table as
men, although with something extra, a little “je ne sais quoi”… and I sus-
pect that I never will.
I am a product of the 60’s. Deeply ingrained in me are the teachings of
my mother. “Do NOT hit girls.” “Hold the door for a lady.” Walk on the
curbside.” “Watch your language in polite company.” These things are
not meant to be an affront to the capabilities of women, they are common
decency and courtesy. I shall not change them. I gracefully accept the ire
directed at me from the occasional “militant feminist” when holding a door
for them at the mall entrance.
I figure women have earned the right to be a bit ticked if they feel a man
is pandering to them. After all, women have been fighting for equality with
men for about 200,000 years and I can see how the progress made in
only the last 100 years or so might be something one would fiercely want
to protect. Especially considering there is still much progress that needs
to be made. As the caption on the cover page of this article indicates,
“Nothing trumps a motivated lioness.”
Anytime I feel I might be losing sight of that I just scratch my head, and
feel the lump under my scalp. Still there since 1969...
The French say, “Viva la difference.” I agree. Though I now also say “Viva
la Revolution!”
A HUGE and very respectful “thank you” from myself, my sons and from
the company Blue Mountain Minerals Inc. given to women everywhere,
including my wife and daughter, for your mammoth, inspiring and ongoing
contributions for a much better world.
To see what Blue Mountain Minerals Inc. is about please feel free to visit
the site at bluemtnminerals.com