Meet The North | Hunting the World's Best Aurora

Meet Joe Buffalo Child, also known around the world as Joe “The Aurora Hunter”. Owner of North Star Adventures, a 100% Indigenous owned and operated, Yellowknife based company. In the span of five minutes as a guest of Joe’s, you will get to know the storyteller, the practical joker, the astute businessman, and more than anything else, the lover of the Aurora. Joe has looked up at those lights all his life growing up on these lands. But each time he’s mesmerized anew. “It’s like fresh air, a blue sky and sunshine.”
Sharing the magic of the Aurora with travellers from all over the world is one of the most rewarding parts of Joe’s job. Some of those visitors aren’t unfamiliar with cosmic scenery - like the time Star Wars’ Carrie Fisher joined him on a tour - but all of them are starstruck by our captivating Northern Lights.
Joe first thought of getting into tourism 25 years ago, but it wasn’t until 2007 that he began Aurora hunting tours. “I called them Aurora hunting tours because I wanted to incorporate our Indigenous culture into the name of the tour,” he says, noting how the ‘Aurora hunting’ term is now popular in Alaska, Norway and Iceland. “We mark ourselves as the world’s first Aurora hunting tour company.”
North Star Adventures offer packages that include paddling down the Dehcho and puts Dene culture, history and experiences at the forefront. North Star Adventures runs boat tours from Fort Providence to Fort Simpson, with trips into Nahanni National Park Reserve. He offers an Arctic Ocean tour, where guests can experience Inuvialuit culture on the Arctic coast. Joe also organizes and accommodates VIP guests, customizing packages that allow deep-pocketed travellers to travel by private jet and the natural jewels of the Northwest Territories in comfort and style. He has even put together an unparalleled ice road adventure, from Yellowknife, up the Mackenzie Valley Winter Road and over to Colville Lake - a distance of 1,600 kilometres.
Joe ensures every experience is genuine, calling upon his connections across the North when putting these packages together. When guests paddle to shore in Fort Simpson, they might be met by the timeless, pulsing beat of Dene drumming; groups canoeing down the Dehcho will learn Dene history from local elders and leaders with each community stop down the river. With his focus on summer adventure, one thing’s for sure - he may have started as Joe “The Aurora Hunter”, he's now so much more.
#Aurora #AuroraBorealis #NorthernLights

[@cherryekoos210]

Love what you are looking! So beautiful

[@photography6204]

Great video Joe! I've been up to YK twice now photographing Aurora all the way from Coffs Harbour Australia. It is my favorite place in the world other than where I live! Took a cabin for a couple of weeks last time out at Prelude Lake. Thank you for this vid! Fond memories. Say hello to Bobby Drygeese if you run into him please...

[@mariajiml9895]

Its been my Dream to see the Aurora Borrales Northern lights my two sons Was working in Arctic Circle❤❤❤

[@mariajiml9895]

My Bucket list visit oneday

[@victoriagraham6470]

I'm moving in

[@PaulaBraatz]

I really need to do this

[@mariajiml9895]

I love natures so beautiful

[@ellsrustia6329]

Awesome. From southern Ontario. Would love to join your tour one day.

[@User-blu-7999]

I love the Aurora Borealis!

[@pearllemdal5988]

God is an awesome God.