The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1912-09-26
DISCOVERY OF ESKIMO
DESCENDANTS
Evident That Tribe Has Had No Com
municatiOn With White Men During
Centuries.

The discovery of Nilhjalmr Ste
fansson of the Eskimo descendants OF
the lost Scandinavian colonists OF
Greenland, who disappeared before
Columbus discovered America is re-
garded by Government scientists and
ethnologists as very important. DR.
Walter Hough of the chronological de-
partment of the National Museum. who
has been familiar with the progress of
the Stefansson expedition, said:
I think the investigation which
Stefansson and DR.. Anderson have
been making along the Arctic coast
line of the continent between Point
Barrow and Cape Parry will bring
most valuable contributions to our
knowledge of that little-explored re-
gion. DR.. H. c. Bumpus of the Ameri-
can Museum of Natural History of
New York city has several times
spoken to me about the progress of
this expedition, and | understand that
the chronological and geological collect
ion they are bringing back to this
country for that museum will be one
of the most remarkable ever brought
from the frozen North"
Dr. Hough, when asked what he
thought of the claim made by Ste
fansson that he had discovered the
descendants of the lost Scandinavian
colonists of Greenland, said he await
ed the scientific data with keen inter
est, and that proof of this discovery
would be very important. He said
it would confirm the theory of some
ethnologists who believe that these
lost colonists travelled westward from
Greenland along the archipelago of
land and ice, finding the American
continent on the north, the shores of
Coronation gulf, region west of
the mouth of the Mackenzie river, and
Immediately south Of Victoria Land.
I'm my opinion" said DR.. Hough,
there are three important features
of Stefansson's announcement. -
speaks of finding many Eskimos with
blue eyes, reddish hair and light COM
pleXion. If these white Eskimos are
in reality descendants of the lost
colonists of Greenland, ii is most in
teresting to know that this type OF
white man has survived SO long and
retained these Scandinavian charac-
terstc. Very few Eskimos are ever
found with blue eyes.
THE second important phrase OF
the announcement, in my estimation,
is the statement that Stefansson took
measurements of a large number of
the males and found that the facial
index was the same as that Of the
Eskimo scandinavian half-bloods OF
Greenland. and not typically Eskimo.
That is most important and the cruy
of the whole problem. These meas
urements will settle the matter
The third important thing about
this discovery is the fact that Stefan
sson has evidently located tribe
that had practically no contact with
white men and civilization for some
centuries There are very few places
in the world today where such tribes
may be found free from the influence
of visits from the so-called civilized
white men.
Discussing the literature on the sub
iect of the mysterious disappearance
of the ancient Scandinavian colonists
of Greenland, DR.. Hough cited writ
ings of DR.. Henry Rink of Copenha-
gen. once inspector for South Green
land, and an authority on Eskimos.
In paper prepared in 1875, DIR. Pink
said of these lost Scandinavian colon
lists.
According to the sagas of Iceland
ers they met the Eskfmos on the east
coast of Greenland about the year
1000 and at almost the same time oh
the south coast of the American con-
tinent, in the so-called Vinland.
Thorvald the son of Eric the Red,
was killed in fight which ensued at
this meeting. Between the year 1000
and 1900 the Eskimos do not seem TO
have occupied the land south of 60 dc e
grees on the west coast of Greenland.
where the Scandinavian colonists were
situated. But the Scandinavian
colonists seem TO have been aware OF
the existence of the Eskimos in high
er ATTITUDES and to have lived in fea:
of attack from them, since in the year
1866 an expedition was sent out for
the purpose of exploring the abodes OF
the Okraelings, as the Eskimos were
called by the colonists.