The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1909-11-18
RASMUSSEN LIVED
WITH ESKIMOS
Danish Defender Of Or. Cook
Authority on Frozen North.
IS AUTHOR OF A POLAR BOOK.

Ne Went 70 Greenland With DAMS
Expedition In 1902 to Study Rseis
History q the oresnlsrdsrs, Etc
Returned There In 1906, to 30 Con
Sis Years.
KIND Rasmussen. the Danish lex
who defends Dr Frederick A. Cooks
claim M tosshe discovery Of the nortt
pole. was member Of the Danish lit
erary expedition which left Copenha
gen early IN 1902 and spent two years
among the Eskimos In Greenland
Rasmussen assertions OF his belief
In Cooks story nflei talks with Eshi-
mos familiar With Cooks exploits have
materially strengthened the Brooklyn
doctors position In various circles
which have shown an inclination to
doubt parts Of his narrative
Rasmussen spent the two years he
was IN Greenland on the stated occa-
sion IN studying the racial history OF
the Eskimos
The other principals OF the expedl-
tlon were l.. Myilus Erickson and
Count Harald Moitte. Organized orig
inaily ns private enterprise. the OBJ
jects were deemed OF such Importance
from geographical and chronological
point OF view that the total expenses
Of the expedition were assumed by the
Danish kingdom.
Went to Cape York.
The expedition arrived In Greenland
IN June. 1902. II left Upernavik for
Cape York In March. 1908. spending
nearly ten months among the polar Es-
kmos, and left for the south again In
June. 1904. breaking It's journey by
stop In west Greenland aud returning |
10 Copenhagen Ia September. 1904.
In August. 1906. Rasmussen left Co |
penhagen for Greenland, Intending to /
be ne six years 70 complete his re-
searches into the chronological and so
cial habits OF the Eskimos. the tour, as
originally planned. TO cover the entire /
north coast OF North America AS far as
Alaska.
For this work Rasmussen IL peculiar
iy lifted. as he Is part Eskimo himself
Ills mother Is It south Greenland Eski-
mo, His father IL Christian Rasmus-
sen. a Danish clergyman. who spent
over twenty years as missionary
among the natives OF southwest Green
land AT the age Of fourteen Knud
u
parents and entered the University OF
Copenhagen. from which no was grad
uated with houors
Three Branches Of Race.
The results OF bis early association
with bis kinsfolk supplemented by his
more mature studies II 1902 and 1908.
were published In Danish under the
titles OF The New People" and The
Lash OF the North Wind" They were
translated Into English In 1908 aud
published under the title OF people OF
the Polar North The book deals with
three distinct Eskimo branches which
comprise the population OF Greenland
first the west Greenlandsrs. being
the civilized aud christWhized inhab-
itants OF west and southwest Green.
land; second. the east Greenlanders,
being the former Inhabitants OF the
southeast coast. now practically de-
serted except In Que area on the east
coast known as Augruagssllk. aud.
third. the polar Esklmos
In this record OF the lives OF the most
northerly dwelling people OF the world.
the nomadlc groups be-
tween the degrees OF 10 and ~ north
latitude. are embraced their legends.
beliefs and fables-eyeryth thing.
Ia fact connected with their folklore
and their present views OF life In the
preface TO bis book Rasmussen says:
when ! was a child used often to
hear au old Greenlandlc woman tell
how. far away north. at the end OF the
world. there lived people who dressed
h bearskins and ate raw flesh. Their
country was always shut In by ice. and
he daylight never reached over the
ops " their high fields (mountainsl,
whoever wished TO go there must
rarel With the south wind. right up
10 the lord OF the Wild north guies
1sftA DsiNit hufW Nudb tIuNfAuE
meant ! determined that one day |
would 10 and fnd these people"
The EsSimos' be SAYS. "are much
Ike animals. The men love their l
wives. but when the fancy takes them
hey malsreat them In a manner that !
We civilized men would consider bru I
al Hut say the Esklmos. ~ atrec- J
ION Is 70 be- kept alive the women
must feel occasionally that the men is a
trpng 4
Even the presence 81 a civilized man
she had Eskimo blood In his veins 3
rouscd the suspicious OF the south. u
ast Creenlanders All sorts % Tu- e
aors. be says we're circulated abort o
~ coming. chiefly hawked about by q
% Christian women whose TONGUES re- u
uired a little exercise" To win their I
oufdence Rasmussen adopted the n
olicy o. asking no questions for a %
ueiber u days
Thus be says II succeeded az
myth 10 winning the confidence Of the
eople and during my ilfe with them y
-