Ranald MacDonald

Biography

Ranald MacDonald, a fur trader and explorer born to Scottish and Chinook parents, made his mark as a daring cultural emissary when he deliberately presented himself to Japanese authorities in 1848 so he might teach English and learn of the island nation while it still maintained its isolation.

He spent later years in Ferry County, Washington, where friends remembered him as a storyteller and interpreter of cultures, and scholars have since celebrated his quiet diplomacy for advancing understanding between North America and Japan.