Author Description

Knud Rasmussen, a Greenlandic-Danish explorer and anthropologist, led a team of colleagues on a journey of discovery across North America between 1921 and 1924. This 20,000-mile trek, known as the Fifth Thule Expedition, explored the Eskimo world from the Atlantic Ocean to the Chukchi Sea and proved the unity of their language and culture. Rasmussen's primary focus was not just geographical discovery, but the people themselves and their intellectual and spiritual life. He earned the trust of local communities by living among them, sharing their work and food, and showing understanding and patience. This approach allowed Rasmussen to fully immerse himself in the Arctic and become known to a Canadian Inuit elder as "the first white man who was also an Eskimo." Rasmussen was also a noted writer, sharing not just his observations, but the feelings he experienced in Across Arctic America. This book is a condensed version of his two-volume popular account written in Danish, and offers a literary and insightful interpretation of Eskimo life, earning praise from fellow arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson. About the Author: Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen was a pioneering polar explorer and anthropologist, who left his mark on the fields of Eskimology and Arctic Studies. With a Greenlands-Danish heritage, he made history as the first European to cross the elusive Northwest Passage by dog sled. Despite passing away in 1933, Rasmussen's legacy continues to inspire and captivate people in Greenland, Denmark, and among the Canadian Inuit community, earning him the title of "father of Eskimology".