Connecting to the Past Finally, I thought that having a living descendant of one of the Arctica explorers engage in a search for answers was very appropriate and thought-provoking. Much of our history is made real to us today because we have direct memories and connections to events in the past. These connections are through our ancestors. When we went to Beechey Island to expose the bodies of the three Franklin sailors, I had invited a descendant of one of the sailor's families to come with us. One day, as we melted the ice from around the body of John Hartnell, my friend came face to face with his great-great uncle.
History is real.