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The Last of the Arctic
The Canadian artist depicts such disappearing aspects of Eskimo life as the hunt, the Shaman, igloo-building, and soapstone-carving
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
12 people want to read
About the author
William Kurelek
34 books8 followersWilliam Kurelek (Wasyl), painter and writer, evangelist. Influenced by Bosch and Brueghel and by prairie roots, his Ukrainian heritage and Roman Catholicism, Kurelek's realistic and symbolic paintings record his historic culture and religious vision. The oldest of 7 children, he was expected to help run the farm. His lack of mechanical aptitude attracted harsh criticism from his father, as did his wish to be an artist. He studied at Winnipeg, Toronto and San Miguel, Mexico. In England (1952-59), he sought psychiatric help and was hospitalized for severe emotional problems, depression and eye pain. He converted to Roman Catholicism (1957), credited God with his healing, and began to paint the Passion of Christ according to St Matthew. This series of 160 paintings is housed in the Niagara Falls Art Gallery and Museum.
Returning to Toronto, he was established by the early 1960s as an important painter, alternating realistic works depicting his prairie roots with didactic series. In the 1970s he began to publish his paintings with simple texts. His books for children (A Prairie Boy's Winter, 1973; Lumberjack, 1974; A Prairie Boy's Summer, 1975; and A Northern Nativity, 1976) have become modern classics. His autobiography, Someone With Me (1973, rev ed 1980), ends with his marriage to Jean Andrews (1962). Kurelek was an outstanding artist with a unique idealistic and pragmatic vision. A modern Jeremiah, he painted a coming apocalypse - divine justice on a materialistic, secular society.
Returning to Toronto, he was established by the early 1960s as an important painter, alternating realistic works depicting his prairie roots with didactic series. In the 1970s he began to publish his paintings with simple texts. His books for children (A Prairie Boy's Winter, 1973; Lumberjack, 1974; A Prairie Boy's Summer, 1975; and A Northern Nativity, 1976) have become modern classics. His autobiography, Someone With Me (1973, rev ed 1980), ends with his marriage to Jean Andrews (1962). Kurelek was an outstanding artist with a unique idealistic and pragmatic vision. A modern Jeremiah, he painted a coming apocalypse - divine justice on a materialistic, secular society.
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April 18, 2016
William Kurelek (1927-1977) is a very popular Canadian artist. He worked on a series of paintings reproduced in book form of the various ethnic groups that make up Canada. I own his "The Ukrainian Pioneer" book. While technically not immigrants, he was asked by Christopher Ondaatje to "record the story of the Eskimos in thirty paintings before their identity was completely swamped by our southern white civilization". In the introduction, Kurelek explains that he does not share the commonly held romanticized view of the Canadian North and the Inuit. He writes, "I realize of course that my views are perhaps not the standard sentiments one expects to find in a book about the Arctic. But if I'm to say anything at all --and I did offer to say nothing -- then I feel it should be honest. I must say I admire Chris' tolerance of my views." He should have stuck to painting and Chris Ondaatje should have insisted that he say nothing! In fact reading this “dated” book is a good education of what happens when you try to tell the story of a people through the eyes of an outsider.
No one can argue against the pitfall of ascribing the "noble savage" label to a group of people. Kurelek can be applauded for taking a stand against that. However, in his descriptions of the Inuit, his white, catholic bias is glaringly obvious. I realize that this book was produced in 1976 and one most consider the context and time, but I argue that it was books like this, published and read by the Canadian public, that are partly to blame for the ignorance and attitudes that many Canadians still have about the Inuit and other indigenous groups.
This book also raises some issues about using art as an ethnographic tool. The controversy around Paul Kane’s paintings of First Nations people comes to mind. Kurelek, having previously visited the Arctic, knew that he was going to have to use his imagination to paint the “old ways” that Ondaatje insisted on, because by the 1970’s the Inuit had already adopted prefab homes, skidoos, and TVs. One must be careful to assume that what he is painting is even remotely accurate. In at least one instance he departs totally from any realism. His painting and text called “Arctic Madonna and Child” is an “Inuit-ized” nativity scene. He writes, “Some thinkers and writers on the Arctic argue that the advent of white missionaries dislocated the life of the Eskimo. My contention is that it was only temporary dislocation. I also content that this dislocation, whatever there was of it, would have occurred anyway from other political philosophies as white exploration pushed inevitably northward. The only question is which southern philosophy is the right one.” (my italics)
Kurelek’s version of morality is evident than in his retelling of an Inuit revenge story. This is how he introduces it, “As an artist who produces social commentary paintings, I find it impossible to agree with some experts who condone Eskimo morality as a necessary natural phenomenon. Here are just a few samples of some former Eskimo customs I find repugnant: allowing the elderly to commit suicide, or in fact helping them to die, leaving baby girls outside the igloo to die, blood revenge for murder; exchanging wives.” Kurelek’s feels justified from a sense of faith and morality to not bother trying to understanding another culture so different from his own. In his other immigrant series, he’s able to accommodate the “cultural mosaic” narrative quite eloquently, but when it comes to our colonization of Inuit, he’s unsympathetic and unable to see beyond the trappings of his own faith perspective.
No one can argue against the pitfall of ascribing the "noble savage" label to a group of people. Kurelek can be applauded for taking a stand against that. However, in his descriptions of the Inuit, his white, catholic bias is glaringly obvious. I realize that this book was produced in 1976 and one most consider the context and time, but I argue that it was books like this, published and read by the Canadian public, that are partly to blame for the ignorance and attitudes that many Canadians still have about the Inuit and other indigenous groups.
This book also raises some issues about using art as an ethnographic tool. The controversy around Paul Kane’s paintings of First Nations people comes to mind. Kurelek, having previously visited the Arctic, knew that he was going to have to use his imagination to paint the “old ways” that Ondaatje insisted on, because by the 1970’s the Inuit had already adopted prefab homes, skidoos, and TVs. One must be careful to assume that what he is painting is even remotely accurate. In at least one instance he departs totally from any realism. His painting and text called “Arctic Madonna and Child” is an “Inuit-ized” nativity scene. He writes, “Some thinkers and writers on the Arctic argue that the advent of white missionaries dislocated the life of the Eskimo. My contention is that it was only temporary dislocation. I also content that this dislocation, whatever there was of it, would have occurred anyway from other political philosophies as white exploration pushed inevitably northward. The only question is which southern philosophy is the right one.” (my italics)
Kurelek’s version of morality is evident than in his retelling of an Inuit revenge story. This is how he introduces it, “As an artist who produces social commentary paintings, I find it impossible to agree with some experts who condone Eskimo morality as a necessary natural phenomenon. Here are just a few samples of some former Eskimo customs I find repugnant: allowing the elderly to commit suicide, or in fact helping them to die, leaving baby girls outside the igloo to die, blood revenge for murder; exchanging wives.” Kurelek’s feels justified from a sense of faith and morality to not bother trying to understanding another culture so different from his own. In his other immigrant series, he’s able to accommodate the “cultural mosaic” narrative quite eloquently, but when it comes to our colonization of Inuit, he’s unsympathetic and unable to see beyond the trappings of his own faith perspective.
April 29, 2025
- From time immemorial the Eskimos and Indians have been hostile to each other. This hostility between them did not take the form of full open warfare, but of stealthy ambush and isolated raids.
- The word Eskimo is really an Indian word meaning "eaters of raw meat." The Eskimos themselves, however, prefer to be called by their own name Inuit which means "the people." In other words there are human beings (themselves), and others, namely the Indians and white men.
- Dwarf willow buds and twigs are the staple food of ptarmigans in winter. When one is killed, the Eskimo immediately slits the gizzard and intestines seeking the partly digested willow. This is considered a delicacy, and is extremely rich in Vitamin C which helps prevent the disease called scurvy. Eskimos did the same thing with the partly-digested food found inside some of the sea animals that fed on seaweed. Thus indirectly the sea supplied the Eskimos with greens and nutrients that southerners usually get from lettuce, cabbage and fruit such as oranges.
- Toward the end of my first painting trip to Cape Dorse.
- In 1976 or so, I was at Pangnirtung on Baffin Island, a few miles south of the Arctic Circle.
- William Kurelek is an artist who produces social commentary paintings.
- Here are just a few samples of some former Eskimo customs I find repugnant: allowing the elderly to commit suicide, or in fact helping them to die; leaving baby girls outside the igloo to die; blood revenge for murder; exchanging wives.
- Because of whale over-killing (by men of all races), the Eskimos now are often forced to eat cheaper, starchy food imported from the South (part of Canada), as they can't always afford the high price of southern meat. One sad result of this is that they suffer the worst tooth decay of any people in the world.
- The word Eskimo is really an Indian word meaning "eaters of raw meat." The Eskimos themselves, however, prefer to be called by their own name Inuit which means "the people." In other words there are human beings (themselves), and others, namely the Indians and white men.
- Dwarf willow buds and twigs are the staple food of ptarmigans in winter. When one is killed, the Eskimo immediately slits the gizzard and intestines seeking the partly digested willow. This is considered a delicacy, and is extremely rich in Vitamin C which helps prevent the disease called scurvy. Eskimos did the same thing with the partly-digested food found inside some of the sea animals that fed on seaweed. Thus indirectly the sea supplied the Eskimos with greens and nutrients that southerners usually get from lettuce, cabbage and fruit such as oranges.
- Toward the end of my first painting trip to Cape Dorse.
- In 1976 or so, I was at Pangnirtung on Baffin Island, a few miles south of the Arctic Circle.
- William Kurelek is an artist who produces social commentary paintings.
- Here are just a few samples of some former Eskimo customs I find repugnant: allowing the elderly to commit suicide, or in fact helping them to die; leaving baby girls outside the igloo to die; blood revenge for murder; exchanging wives.
- Because of whale over-killing (by men of all races), the Eskimos now are often forced to eat cheaper, starchy food imported from the South (part of Canada), as they can't always afford the high price of southern meat. One sad result of this is that they suffer the worst tooth decay of any people in the world.
February 19, 2025
I have the book in my lap right now. If the previous negative review didn't sway you -how about his dedication at the being of the book to the white men, he literally began the dedication this way, who ventured north to the arctic..
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews