Michael was born and raised in Alberta, where he  received a B.A. in Archaeology in 1970. He later earned an M.A. in History Museum Studies from  the State University of New York in 1988. He was curator of collections for Klondike National Historic Sites in Dawson City, Yukon, from 1977 to 2000. In 2007, he began the popular  History Hunter column in the Yukon News. Nearly 700 have been published to date. He is  the author (and co-author in one instance) of seven books on Yukon History. He has spoken widely in Canada, the United States and Europe, and has  produced "history nuggets " for CKRW radio in Whitehorse. He has published articles in a number of northern publications, including Up Here, Yukon North of Ordinary, Whatsupyukon, and The Northern Review. He has contributed to  the Canadian Encyclopedia and PBS. In October, 202,  he was appointed the Yukon's first story laureate by Yukon Commissioner Angelique Bernard, and serves in that capacity from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2023