Franz Boas among the Inuit of Baffin Island, 1883-1884

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.