Worldviews of the Greenlanders: An Inuit Arctic PerspectiveNinety years ago, Knud Rasmussen’s popular account of his scientific expeditions through Greenland and North America introduced readers to the culture and history of arctic Natives. In the intervening century, a robust field of ethnographic research has grown around the Inuit and Yupiit of North America—but, until now, English-language readers have had little access to the broad corpus of work on Greenlandic natives. Worldviews of the Greenlanders draws upon extensive Danish and Greenlandic research on Inuit arctic peoples—as well as Birgitte Sonne’s own decades of scholarship and fieldwork—to present in rich detail the key symbols and traditional beliefs of Greenlandic Natives, as well as the changes brought about by contact with colonial traders and Christian missionaries. It includes critical updates to our knowledge of the Greenlanders’ pre-colonial world and their ideas on space, time, and other worldly beings. This expansive work will be a touchstone of Arctic Native studies for academics who wish to expand their knowledge past the boundaries of North America. |
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Common terms and phrases
Ajijak Akku Alaska Ammassalik angakkoq puulik animals Arctic arrived Asiaq Avanersuaq baby Baffin Island balance bearded seal body called Canadian Inuit Christian coast culture Danish deceased humans dwarves earth East Greenlandic father Fienup-Riordan figure giant Greenlandic shamans Gulløv Hans Egede heaven helping spirits Holm hunter hunting Iglulik ikiaq initiation innersuit inua Inuit Inuit/Yupiit Ittuku Kaakaaq Kaarali Kaassassuk kayak killed Knud Rasmussen land latter Laugrand light Maratsi means Missuarniannga Moon mother mythic Naaja naatsit Nalikkatteeq Nattilik Nuuk one’s Oosten ordinary performance polar bear Polar Inuit pooq Poul Egede pupil qaamaneq Qallunaat Qivaaqiarsuk Rasmussen Raven realm of death ritual Robert-Lamblin Rosing Saladin d’Anglure Sandgreen saqqummerneq sea mammals Sea Woman shaman sila Silap Inua skin snow bunting Sonne sorcery stones story symbolism taartaq taboo Thalbitzer Thule tide told toornaarsuk travels variants Viveiros walrus West whaling wife winter women worldview Yukaghirs