In the summer of 1883, Franz Boas, widely regarded as one of the fathers of Inuit anthropology, sailed from Germany to Baffin Island to spend a year among the Inuit of Cumberland Sound. This was his introduction to the Arctic and to anthropological fieldwork. This book presents, for the first time, his letters and journal entries from the year that he spent among the Inuit, providing not only an insightful background to his numerous scientific articles about Inuit culture, but a comprehensive and engaging narrative as well.
Using a Scottish whaling station as his base, Boas travelled widely with the Inuit, learning their language, living in their tents and snow houses, sharing their food, and experiencing their joys and sorrows. At the same time he was taking detailed notes and surveying and mapping the landscape and coastline. Ludger Müller-Wille has transcribed his journals and his letters to his parents and fiancé and woven these texts into a sequential narrative. The result is a fascinating study of one of the earliest and most successful examples of participatory observation among the Inuit. Originally published in German in 1994, the text has been translated into English by William Barr, who has also published translations of other important works on the history of the Arctic.
Illustrated with some of Boas's own photos and with maps of his field area, Franz Boas among the Inuit of Baffin Island, 1883-1884 is a valuable addition to the historical and anthropological literature on southern Baffin Island.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references and index
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 917.19/5042
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 21
- General Note
- Translation of: Bei den Inuit in Baffinland 1883-1884 Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- n-cn-nt
- ISBN
- 9781442675049 0802041507
- LCCN
- E99.E7
- LCCN Item number
- B659813 1998eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaOTU
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (xvi, 298 p., [16] p. of plates)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)thg00600480 (OCoLC)752411724 (CaOOCEL)417846
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Transcribing agency
- CaOTU
Table of Contents
- Contents 6
- Foreword 10
- Preface to the Original German Edition 12
- Preface to the English Edition 16
- Introduction: Germans and Inuit on Baffin Island in the 1880s 20
- The Simple Relationships between the Land and the People 20
- Boas and German Polar Research in the Early 1880s 23
- Human Environmental Relations in the Arctic: The Ecological Approach 28
- Fieldwork Methods: 'I am now truly just like a typical Eskimo' 32
- Journals and Letters, 1882–1884: The Source Material 35
- Transcribing and Editing the Texts 40
- Franz Boas and the Inuit Today 44
- Abbreviations 46
- JOURNALS AND LETTERS (MAY 1882 – SEPTEMBER 1884) 48
- Period of Preparation in Germany, 1882–1883 50
- Formulating and Securing the Research Plans 50
- The Third German Geographers' Conference in Frankfurt a. M. 54
- Logistical Preparations for the Sojourn in the Arctic 55
- On Board the Germania from Hamburg to Baffin Island, June–July 1883 62
- Across the North Sea and the Atlantic 62
- Off Greenland 69
- In the Drift and Pack Ice off Baffin Island, July–August 1883 72
- Reaching K'exerten, Tinixdjuarbing: Meeting the Whalers and Inuit, August–September 1883 88
- Winding Down the German Polar Station, K'ingua, September 1883 96
- First Boat Trip with the Inuit to the North End of Tinixdjuarbing 96
- The Last Days of the German Polar Station 102
- At the Scottish Whaling Station at K'exerten and Germania's Departure 107
- Late Fall Boat Trips in the Sound, September–October 1883 112
- K'exerten 112
- Journey to Kingnait Fiord 113
- On Board the Catherine: The First Voyage to Naujateling and Milixdjuax 118
- Trip to Pangnirtung Fiord 146
- Trip to Ujarasugdjuling and Exaluaxdjuin 153
- Investigations at K'exerten, October–December 1883 159
- Science and Epidemics: Between the Environment and People 159
- Geographical Names and Maps: Comprehending the Area 162
- Tidal Observations in the Harbour at K'exerten 168
- The Inuit's Fall Festival: The Sedna Ritual 170
- Discontinuation of the Tidal Observations 171
- Sickness and Death among the Inuit 173
- Hikes across the Ice: Surveying the K'exerten Archipelago 174
- By Dogsled across the Pack Ice 180
- Inuit, Igloos, and Dogs: Journeys on the Ice of Tinixdjuarbing, December 1883 – May 1884 183
- First Trip to Anarnitung and K'ingua 183
- A Bitterly Cold March to K'ingua 185
- The First Time in an Inuit Camp: Anarnitung 189
- Second Trip to Anarnitung and K'ingua 194
- K'exerten 200
- Third Trip to Anarnitung and K'ingua 203
- First Attempt at Crossing the Kingnait-Padli Pass 210
- Fourth Trip to Anarnitung and K'ingua 213
- Trip to Milixdjuax 219
- Second Trip to Naujateling 221
- Trip Southeastward to Saumia 225
- The First 'White' among the Inuit of Ukiadliving 227
- Return Trip to K'exerten 230
- Trip to the Northwest to Nettilling Lake 233
- Second Attempt at Crossing the Kingnait-Padli Pass 237
- Trip to the West Coast of Tinixdjuarbing: Tarrionitung 239
- The Last Trip on the Ice of Tinixdjuarbing: Nuvujen 242
- K'exerten: Preparations for the Trip to Davis Strait 243
- Overland to Davis Strait: From Kingnait to Padli, May 1884 248
- Along the East Coast of Baffin Island: Survey Trips on the Sea Ice, May–July 1884 254
- From Padli to Padloping 254
- Northward: From Padloping to Tunirn 258
- Establishing the Base Camp at K'ivitung 263
- From K'ivitung to Siorartijung 265
- The Inuit Settlement of Siorartijung: The Most Northerly Point 271
- Southward: Excruciating Sledging on Late-Summer Ice 273
- At K'ivitung: Waiting for the Whalers, July–August 1884 279
- Completion of the Cartographic Work 279
- Ethnographica, Dictionary, and Stories: Last Notes 282
- Whalers in Sight 287
- Leaving the Inuit and the Arctic, August–September 1884 290
- With the Wolf to K'armaxdjuin and St John's 290
- On Board the Ardandhu to New York 293
- Appendix 1 Dog Names 300
- Appendix 2 Names of Ships and Boats 301
- Glossary 304
- English Words 305
- Inuktitut Words (Eastern Canadian Arctic) 306
- A 306
- C 306
- D 306
- E 306
- I 306
- K 307
- M 307
- N 307
- O 308
- P 308
- S 308
- T 308
- U 308
- Z 309
- References 310
- Index 318
- A 318
- B 319
- C 320
- D 320
- E 320
- F 321
- G 321
- H 321
- I 321
- J 322
- K 322
- L 324
- M 325
- N 326
- O 327
- P 327
- Q 328
- R 328
- S 328
- T 330
- U 330
- V 331
- W 331
- X 331
- Y 331
- Illustrations and maps 130
