The Fifth Thule Expedition and its Indigenous participants who made it possible
This paper takes a critical look into the Fifth Thule Expedition and the lack of general representation and recognition of its Inuit participants. Historically, little attention has been paid to the degree to which Indigenous participants played a role in non-Arctic peoples’ (e.g., Europeans, North…
This paper takes a critical look into the Fifth Thule Expedition and the lack of general representation and recognition of its Inuit participants. Historically, little attention has been paid to the degree to which Indigenous participants played a role in non-Arctic peoples’ (e.g., Europeans, North Americans, and Russians) quest to explore the Arctic. Outsiders have for centuries been attracted to explore and colonize the Arctic regions. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, ethnographic subjects and fieldwork expanded as a result of progressing colonial encounters. Among them, the Fifth Thule Expedition (1921–1924) played a significant role in the interpretation and description of the Arctic and the Indigenous peoples who call it home. The Fifth Thule Expedition’s Inuit par- ticipants from Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), particularly the Inughuit from Avanersuaq (Northwest Greenland), played a crucial role in carrying out vital tasks for the expedition. However, the role and importance of these participants have rarely been a focus of discussion, and only scant recognition has been paid to their contributions. This paper places Inuit participants as central actors in the success of the Fifth Thule Expedition and explores the entangled colonial aspects of scientific expeditions to the Arctic.
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Editor:
Aron L. Crowell; Igor Krupnik
Årstal:
2021
Emner:
Fifth Thule expedition; Inughuit; Indigenous participants; Arctic exploration; Ethnology; Colonial legacies
Titel på tidsskrift:
Alaska Journal of Anthropology
Volumen af tidsskriftet:
19
Tidsskriftsnummer:
1 & 2
Udgiver:
Alaska Anthropological Association
Publikationsland:
Alaska
ISSN nummer:
1544-9793