The Eskimos of Bering Strait, 1650-1898

The Eskimos of Bering Strait, 1650-1898 is a comprehensive cultural history focusing on the Bering Strait region of Alaska. This history volume examines the period from initial European contact around 1650 until the gold rush of 1898. The text utilizes an exhaustive study of printed sources and twenty years of ethnographic field work to outline cross-cultural contacts over two and a half centuries.

This scholarly work provides detailed analysis of early Russian and German materials to document the social evolution of the Inuit and Eskimo populations. The author incorporates oral traditions and first-hand accounts to describe the impact of American jurisdiction, missions, and schools. By analyzing the administration of educational systems and the influx of newcomers, the book offers a rigorous academic perspective on the indigenous history of Alaska.