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Give Me My Father's Body: The Life of Minik, the New York Eskimo
Give Me My Father's Body The Life of Minik the New York Eskimo
Author: Kenn Harper
When six-year-old Minik was chosen as one of six Eskimos from Qaanaaq, Greenland, to accompany explorer Robert Peary to New York City in 1897, he expected a brief adventure. Instead, he became an orphan and an exile. Treated as scientific curiosities, Minik's father and three others quickly succumbed to pneumonia, leaving the boy alone after the...  more »
ISBN: 102143
Publication Date: 2000
Pages: 277
Rating:
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 2

4.5 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Steer Forth Press
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover
Members Wishing: 0
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curledupwithabook avatar reviewed Give Me My Father's Body: The Life of Minik, the New York Eskimo on + 169 more book reviews
Absorbing non-fiction book about the tragic consequences of egomania and ethnocentricity in the world of science. At the turn of the 20th century six Eskimos were brought to the United States by famous explorer, Robert E. Peary, to be studied and displayed by the scientists at the American Museum of Natural History. Author, Kenn Harper, did an extraordinary job of fact-finding in order to set the record straight on this dark part of the Museum's history. It is obvious that Harper feels passionately about the injustice done to the Eskimos, in particular, Minik, the youngest of the six and the subject of the book.

I guess it's a given that every field or profession has its dark side, but it's especially disappointing when that field is science. Isn't science supposed to be an honest search for the truth? Harper exposes an explorer who thinks nothing of exploiting other human beings for his own benefit and scientists who lost touch with their humanity. The book includes photos of Peary, Minik, and others who played important roles in this sad tale.
reviewed Give Me My Father's Body: The Life of Minik, the New York Eskimo on + 111 more book reviews
A sad but true story of a small Eskimo boy who lost his way. I enjoyed it very much. There is a lot about Eskimo culture and I was surprised to find out that the Arctic Explorer, Robert Peary, was not the hero that the news of the time claimed him to be. Alas, as with so many heroes, on close inspection they have feet of clay. This is a good book that keeps you enthralled to the end. The author is to be commended for the research he did to put this story together.


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