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The Arctic: A History
Focusing on the human inhabitants of the Arctic and their struggle for existence, this book describes the history and culture of ethnic groups such as the Inuit and Samoyed tribes, from the Stone Age to the 1990s. In addition the text looks at the impact of European, American and Russian explorations and the attempts to forge a trade route through north-west or north-east passages - including those by the 16th-century explorer Willem Barentsz, and by Henry Hudson, whose name lives on in Hudson Bay. It also describes the exploration and exploitation of the region by the West and Russia, including the effects of the whaling industry, fur trading, ivory trading, and the mining of coal and drilling of oil. The strategic and scientific importance of the Arctic region, and the resultant race between East and West to control and colonize this apparently barren region is also given due regard.
- GenresHistory
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1997
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December 23, 2022
The arctic is one of the most harshest places on earth for humans to survive but people have while many tried but failed, Richard Vaughan brings a somber story of communities, cultures, individuals and professions as well explorers and adventurers that set out for the far north of our planet to either make home, seek subsistence, fortune or fame. Death is on every page but so is triumph after hardship. We find so much cruelty but also perseverance, stubborn and or naive foolishness as well wisdom and growth through experience. The one thing I find most fault in, is the age and the lack of ecological change which are without doubt related. Climate change was off course a factor and known in 1999 but the recent decade has seen the biggest changes yet, changes most profoundly in the arctic region. Something that is given the attention required, is pollution and over exploitation of resources and the impact these have had on the livelihood of the people of the arctic. Speakinf of which, Richard Vaughan assumption over the political goals and trajectory of the indigenous peoples of the north has not played out as he predicted which is perhaps something to re-evaluate.
Nonetheless, the book is good combination of topics and points of view. Starting with a brief anthropological archaeological approach to the Inuit (which he does consistently refer to as Eskimo), the Sami, the Chukotka, Nentsy, Yakut and Chukchi followed by the viking colonization of greenland, the late medieval and early modern age north European trade companies, expansions of cossacks and russian traders into north Siberia, whaling, several chapters on explorations both to find the true north pole and routes to China by the British, Americans and Russians, mining operations and the USSR in the north. As I read this I did notice how the arctic people took a back seat but for the final chapter Vaughn came back to them and evaluated in more detail the societal and cultural impact the increased integration in both world economy and southern states has had on them (altough mostly the Inuit get this attention). The book does tend to follow a mostly sober style of telling what happened but a few recurring themes do stand out.
First off all Vaughan is really adamant on pointing out why the expeditions that failed to survive or come back did so; the reason is almost always, willful ignoring of experience both by their peers and the accumulated cultural experience of arctic peoples when it came to clothing, transportation, accommodation and food. The explorers, like the famous Norwegian Nansen and the american Robert Peary, that adopted the clothing, survival tricks and in particular switching to using sled dogs in winter rather then steamboats in summer to explore get a lot of credit for this even if their role in the incorporation of these regions in the global economy and the disastrous impact this had on the people of the north is never underplayed.
Secondly when evaluating the impact of southern peoples into the arctic it becomes clear that the Russian expansion is treated quite a bit less sharply then the British/Canadian or American exploits. partly he clearly approves the cossacks and Russian traders attitude to the climate and conditions, which, if not fully taking on the local cultures ways and techniques, does tend to follow a similar hands on practical survivalist attitude when compared to the British and Americans who stuck so long to ignoring it. Secondly even if he acknowledges the Russian orthodox church role as a missionary force in Siberia, he makes a point of saying that the anglo saxon and Scandinavian missionaries destroyed their communities cultures more thoroughly whilst the Russians were content with a more local hybrid version of Christianity. Similarly the Inuit integration into the market economy is deplored for the disastrous effect it had on the communities, whose numbers plummeted due to diseases, poor food, depletion of resources and alcohol whilst the communist policy of modernization might have turned Siberian nomads into settled workers as permanently, it supposedly did so far less cruelly in effect then the western integration did. although ironically, the end of the USSR and simultaneous gaining of rights for Inuit and Sami, puts the Siberian people now at a less advantageous point then their north American and Scandinavian sister peoples. Now, I do have to admit that I am a bit on the fence on this and I do feel like more then anything else, this comparison should be explored more deeply.
I can conclude that this a solid book and recommend it wholeheartedly.
Finally in reference to loss of culture for the Inuit; I can also recommend this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM_80...
a game made by Inuit to help their culture survive and treasure the wealth of culture which it contains.
Nonetheless, the book is good combination of topics and points of view. Starting with a brief anthropological archaeological approach to the Inuit (which he does consistently refer to as Eskimo), the Sami, the Chukotka, Nentsy, Yakut and Chukchi followed by the viking colonization of greenland, the late medieval and early modern age north European trade companies, expansions of cossacks and russian traders into north Siberia, whaling, several chapters on explorations both to find the true north pole and routes to China by the British, Americans and Russians, mining operations and the USSR in the north. As I read this I did notice how the arctic people took a back seat but for the final chapter Vaughn came back to them and evaluated in more detail the societal and cultural impact the increased integration in both world economy and southern states has had on them (altough mostly the Inuit get this attention). The book does tend to follow a mostly sober style of telling what happened but a few recurring themes do stand out.
First off all Vaughan is really adamant on pointing out why the expeditions that failed to survive or come back did so; the reason is almost always, willful ignoring of experience both by their peers and the accumulated cultural experience of arctic peoples when it came to clothing, transportation, accommodation and food. The explorers, like the famous Norwegian Nansen and the american Robert Peary, that adopted the clothing, survival tricks and in particular switching to using sled dogs in winter rather then steamboats in summer to explore get a lot of credit for this even if their role in the incorporation of these regions in the global economy and the disastrous impact this had on the people of the north is never underplayed.
Secondly when evaluating the impact of southern peoples into the arctic it becomes clear that the Russian expansion is treated quite a bit less sharply then the British/Canadian or American exploits. partly he clearly approves the cossacks and Russian traders attitude to the climate and conditions, which, if not fully taking on the local cultures ways and techniques, does tend to follow a similar hands on practical survivalist attitude when compared to the British and Americans who stuck so long to ignoring it. Secondly even if he acknowledges the Russian orthodox church role as a missionary force in Siberia, he makes a point of saying that the anglo saxon and Scandinavian missionaries destroyed their communities cultures more thoroughly whilst the Russians were content with a more local hybrid version of Christianity. Similarly the Inuit integration into the market economy is deplored for the disastrous effect it had on the communities, whose numbers plummeted due to diseases, poor food, depletion of resources and alcohol whilst the communist policy of modernization might have turned Siberian nomads into settled workers as permanently, it supposedly did so far less cruelly in effect then the western integration did. although ironically, the end of the USSR and simultaneous gaining of rights for Inuit and Sami, puts the Siberian people now at a less advantageous point then their north American and Scandinavian sister peoples. Now, I do have to admit that I am a bit on the fence on this and I do feel like more then anything else, this comparison should be explored more deeply.
I can conclude that this a solid book and recommend it wholeheartedly.
Finally in reference to loss of culture for the Inuit; I can also recommend this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM_80...
a game made by Inuit to help their culture survive and treasure the wealth of culture which it contains.
Displaying 1 of 1 review