Franz Boas Among the Inuit of Baffin Island, 1883-1884 : Journals and Letters

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 M¦ller-Wille has transcribed his journals and his letters to his parents and fiancTe 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. 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 Mller-Wille has transcribed his journals and his letters to his parents and fianc 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. 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. 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 Insightful Background To His Numerous Scientific Articles About Inuit Culture, But A Comprehensive And Engaging Narrative As Well.--jacket. Introduction: Germans And Inuit On Baffin Island In The 1880s -- Period Of Preparation In Germany, 1882-1883 -- On Board The Germania From Hamburg To Baffin Island, June-july 1883 -- In The Drift And Pack Ice Off Baffin Island, July-august 1883 -- Reaching K'exerten, Tinixdjuarbing: Meeting The Whalers And Inuit, August-september 1883 -- Winding Down The German Polar Station, K'ingua, September 1883 -- Late Fall Boat Trips In The Sound, September-october 1883 -- Investigations At K'exerten, October-december 1883 -- Inuit, Igloos, And Dogs: Journeys On The Ice Of Tinixdjuarbing, December 1883-may 1884 -- Overland To Davis Strait: From Kingnait To Padli, May 1884 -- Along The East Coast Of Baffin Island: Survey Trips On The Sea Ice, May-july 1884. Edited And Introduced By Ludger Müller-wille ; Translated By William Barr. Translation Of: Franz Boas Bei Den Inuit In Baffinland 1883-1884. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [277]-284) And Index. 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