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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance in Yellowknife this winter -- sort of.

Metis Carver Dennis Hudson said he found the U.S. president's name scrawled in a very unusual place.

The black vein in this polished green rock seems to resemble the word "Obama." photo courtesy of Claire Fyse

While visiting his hometown of Fort Smith in early November, Hudson traded some small carving tools for a couple of polished stones. It was five days before the U.S. election, he recalled.

Hudson made a pendant from one stone then picked up the other and noticed something unusual. A black striation in the smooth, green surface could be perceived as the president's name written in a slightly sloppy cursive script.

"My hair stood up," he said. "It jumped right out at me and seemed to scream 'Obama'. It was definitely a very special day."

He made a leather medicine pouch to protect the special stone and hung it around his neck.

"Things seemed to change for me," he said. "My life is improving. I don't know if it's because of the stone or not."

Hudson said he is enamoured by the potential for change represented by the first African-American president.

"In North America we're all affected by the changes one man can make," he said. "It means an opportunity for change in the whole world."

The Obama stone is something very special, very rare, beautiful, powerful and full of hope, Hudson concluded.

"I put it up for sale on EBay because I need the money."