Rating: 
Summary: Impressive account of north meeting civilization.
Review: Thank heavens someone found this book and had it reprinted for the rest of us to read! It would have been such a waste of a wonderful writer and an interesting story if others had not had an opportunity to enjoy this. As written in this book when reading history, Carl Sagan said we need to remember to put the people in context of the social norms of the society they lived in. However, kindness never goes in and out of fashion, and this was well illustrated by the people, both good and bad, whom Minik had the unfortunate luck to fall in with. I knew from what little I had seen of Peary, that he was like many men and explorers of that period...egotistical, vain, pompous, full of himself, and oblivious to others. I did not realize how far these traits of his affected others. The absolute gall of this man to place the lives of other human beings in danger, which he most certainly knew he would be doing if he brought the Polar Eskimos to New York, is beyond infuriating. It is with great patience that Harper writes this book. As you can see, I would hardly be so magnanimous. Peary does not deserve any accolades for anything he did. He totally deserves to be relagated to the dusty corners of museums to which Peary left the family of Minik!Harper does a wonderful job of writing. I have rarely read a biography or history book that reads as easily as a novel, as this book does. Perhaps it is the topic that is so interesting, but the author does such a complete job of telling the story with little biased or prejudiced input. He lets Minik's own words speak for themselves about how he felt about the situation he had been placed in. The book is void of speculation or assumptions that are often made by those writing history or biographies...no Freudian or other psychological analyzation is done on any of the characters in this story, even if the reader is wondering what the heck these guys were thinking or even if they were thinking! Harper tells the whole story of the people involved even if detrimental to their memories. I have to say that even though Minik's foster father had done some things considered wrong in the eyes of the world (he played fast and furious with museum and business interests), in the end he did as much as he could to help his foster son, and certainly did much more than Peary or the other scientific nincompoops did. Karen L. Sadler, Science Education, University of Pittsburgh
Rating:
Summary: An unforgettable story
Review: The story of Minik, a young Inuk who was taken from his home in Greenland by Peary along with several adult Inuit, is told with tremendous feeling and clarity by Nunavut author Kenn Harper. Minik, whose father was "studied" by anythropologists even as he was dying of tuberculosis, was left an orphan, and further subjected to the horrible deception of a sham burial conducted with a coffin filled with stones, while his father's body was displayed as a human specimen in the Museum of Natural History. Among those who 'studied' his father was Arthur Kroeber, the so-called "discoverer" of Ishi, and father of novelist Ursula K. LeGuin. Harper tells this tragic story with remarkable control, and Kevin Spacey contributes a brief but engaging foreword to the book, which he is working to make into a motion picture.
Rating: 
Summary: here we go again: "scientists" vs natives 80(
Review: Things done in the name of science to the autochthonous people in this hemisphere have engendered support or cries of "genocide" from various factions. That theme, as well as that of a man caught between two worlds, and stories about those themes have been with us for centuries. This book grabbed my attention when I saw it on a book shelf yesterday and held my attention until I finished reading it in the early hours of this morning. What was new to me was the tale of Minik and the first transport of his Inuit people to New York in 1897. I found the details of their lives in Greenland to be a refreshing filling of my vacant knowedge of this group of people. This is a tale of (what I perceive to be)corruption on the part of hallowed institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History and the explorer Robert Peary. With only a modicum of knowledge of American history of the sciences I found the roles of Franz Boas, Peter Freuchen and other historical noteables to be fascinating as they became important embroidery to the content of this story. For those of us who discuss (on our better days 80) the emotional issues surrounding the interaction between "scientists" and native peoples there are potentially positive responses from each camp of readers. Folks who see "scientific" study of native peoples to be fraught with potential or acutal abuse and misuse will be able to say 'here we go again; science with no conscience'. Though this is not addressed in the book, those from the science side of the issue will be able to point out how much science has changed. Perhaps, those of us between camps will be able to see both perspectives and, hopefully, be a part of dialogue which could find a way of bringing together people who have been separated for so long, and perhaps we shall be able to ensure such an incident does not happen again. While parallels between Minik and Ishi are perhaps inescapable, the life of Minik, brought to us by author Kenn Harper, was to me utterly believable and accessible. Harper's writing style I found to be clear and empathetic. His research appeared to be quite subtantial if not exhaustive. For those who like a linear style of story, this should be an easy read. In the end it is a story of human cultural diversity and how diverse values play out in the lives of human beings. The author described those who may be viewed here as villans carefully including historical context. I found myself swept along by my own biases and felt very different attitudes about "science" than the author exhibited in the telling of the story. I appreciate an author who can engender such a response from me as a reader. The story is a unique specific of a familiar American generality. Minik was caught between two worlds, a victim of a society's unwillingness to question things done in the name of science. Ultimately, this is a very human story. I found the story at times heart warming, at others heart breaking, but always educational. john
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating tale of a man caught between two worlds
Review: This fascinating true account of an Inuit boy caught between two cultures, and seeking dignity and justice, will be "enjoyed" by those interested in different cultures, exploration of polar regions, and people who seek justice for indigenous peoples. I like stories of society at the turn of the century, and having lived in the extremely cold climates of northern New York's North Country for some years, I am interested in how people exist and keep their sanity in climatically-inhospitable areas of the world. The turn of the century's patriarchal view that more "primitive" peoples were uncivilized curiosities and therefore inhuman, are thoroughly investigated and displayed in this book. I first saw this book advertised in the newspaper's Sunday Parade section about nine months ago and I clipped it out. The unusual title, Minik's innocent and troubling picture, and short blurb said that this would be a subject worth exploring. I found it in my local library and first of all, I was surprised to see a foreward by Kevin Spacey, an actor whom I respect for his talent and depth. I can see why this compelling story could be visualized by him as a great vehicle for a film. (Please select an Inuit actor!) I was engrossed in the story and pitied poor Minik for the terrible treatment he received from the highest, learned echelon of our so-called civilized society. Minik's group of 6 people were used as curiosities with no thought as to the possibilites of fatal illness, depression or feelings of displacement they might suffer. Peary was an absolute scoundrel! I think toward the end of his life, Minik was finding the happiness which had eluded him all his life, God bless him. The untruthful, unethical and immoral treatment of Minik, his father's and his peoples' remains and tools stolen by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City will make me shudder to cross its threshold ever again. Gives me the shivers! Read this book for a fascinating story of one man's search for dignity and a home place. It is in such details as these that a government and society show its true colors. I am very glad to see that Native Americans now demand and are given a great deal more respect and better treatment about their implements, burial sites and holy places. Still the US goverment and our modern society has not even scratched the surface. We have a long way to go toward tolerance and fair treatment. Many Native Americans still suffer in substandard housing with no heat or plumbing, poor nutrition, education, and all the social evils that come when people have no hope for a better tomorrow. Perhaps Minik's story will create dialogue about dignity and justice for all people. We owe it to Native Americans, in Minik's memory, to continue that dialogue.
Rating:
Summary: AN EXCELLENT BOOK
Review: THIS IS A STORY OF MY PEOPLE, MY FOREFATHERS LOT HAVE BEEN HARD. I HAVE READ THIS BOOK AND I STILL GET SAD AND POWERLESS, IT FEELS LIKE I WAS WITH THEM THESE INUIT, BECAUSE I'M ONE OF THEM, I'M INUIT WOMAN, AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THEM, I CAN FEEL THEIR PAIN AND HELPLESSNESS. THIS BOOK TELLS US,CITIZENS OF MOTHER EARTH, THAT WE SHOULD TREAT EACH OTHER WITH RESPECT ACROSS OUR CULTURE DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU FOR THIS EXCELLENT BOOK KENN HARPER, YOU HAVE TELL THE STORY THERE NEEDS TO BE TOLD.
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