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The History of Inuit Studies

The study of the Inuit people can be traced back to 1745, to the missionary works of Hans Egede in Greenland, as well as Ivan Veniaminov (1840) in Alaska. At this time, studies were exclusively dominated by non-native intellectuals, emphasising '‘facts’ instead of theoretical discourse about how these details may best be represented.' The history of the discipline shows how direction of change can be 'influenced by the dilemma of being loyal to the colonised society ... studied while remaining a part of the ... colonising society.'

Between the 1850s and 1920s, the study shifted from dispersed, independent research to a more coherent scholarly community with increased exchange of knowledge. It mostly comprised of early science knowledge based on explorations by natural scientists and colonial administrators. In 1894, East Greenland was colonised by Denmark. Thus, an imperial project directed research initiatives in Greenland (in the 19th and early 20th centuries.) Consequently, the discipline has been a tool for colonialism as well as, more contemporarily, for decolonisation.

From the 1920s to the 1950s 'Eskimology' focused on the origins of Inuit culture and people, drawing prehistory and archaeology to its core. In 1920, 'Eskimology' was institutionalised by the University of Copenhagen, and a teaching position was given to William Thalbitzer, an ethnographer and philologist, introducing ethnographic and philological approaches to 'Eskimology.'

In the 1950s -1980s, ‘Eskimology’ transformed into ‘Inuit studies.’ The name ‘Eskimo’ was rejected by natives as it means ‘eaters of raw meat’ (though this is a matter of contention) in the language of Atlantic Inuits, and was imposed upon the people by colonisers. The change in the discipline’s very nomenclature 'reflects a shift in the status of the Inuit – being (tentatively) reversed from objects to subjects.’ The establishment of a 'Department of Eskimology' in 1967 at Copenhagen's University furthered the discipline's engagement with contemporary political developments in Greenland, such as indigenous rights. Inuit people are now 'acknowledged as coproducers of knowledge and project initiators.' The department also introduced discourse around cultural identity and ethnicity, taking a more anthropological approach. These developments were driven by forces of social pressure, including endogenously, from students and lecturers, as indigenous rights and decolonisation became increasingly integrated into mainstream conscience.

However, the significant delay in the discipline’s institutionalisation may be symbolic of intentional silencing of Inuit culture and the colonial process of ‘cultural conversion’.