Muskox Land: Ellesmere Island in the Age of Contact.

Lyle Dick. 2001. University of Calgary Press, Calgary, AB. ISBN 1-55238-050-5 (paper) Cdn $35.00. 640p.

Muskox Land is an ambitious, detailed history of a fascinating part of the High Arctic. Dick begins by asserting the inadequacy of history based solely on written records, and he includes a great deal of Inuit and Inughuit (the indigenous people of northwest Greenland) oral history. Giving these voices a place alongside European-American written histories is bold and effective, adding a rich extra dimension to the book. Muskox Land traces these parallel cultural narratives and examines their relationships within their social and environmental contexts. Orthography (conventions for the written use of the lnuktitut language) and specific terminology are clearly stated, references are extensive and sources are thoroughly documented. By grouping the chapters into four themes Dick lets the reader take in the narratives while still retaining adequate detachment to follow his historiographic analyses.

The first theme is "Continuities: the natural environment, cultures and human history". The first two chapters review the area's physical and biological environment. While these are not the author's fields of expertise, this background is certainly adequate for most readers. Dick returns to these topics in subsequent chapters and establishes the impact of changing environmental conditions in the region's history; without simply arguing environmental determinism. The next three chapters describe the history of Inughuit, Canadian Inuit and European-American peoples in the High Arctic. Of particular interest are details of Canadian Inuit use of Ellesmere Island before the re-settlements of Inuit to Resolute Bay and Grise Fiord in the 1950s, and their continuing relationship with the Inughuit.

The second theme is "Circumstance: history of events on Ellesmere Island, 1850-1940": highlighting the roles of individual personality and chance. This section narrates the history of European and North American exploration, with an entire chapter devoted to Robert Peary's activities. Dick is careful not to take sides in the persistent historical controversies, such as whether or riot Peary really did reach the pole. Assertions of Canadian sovereignty are discussed, concentrating on the role of the RCMP detachments on Ellesmere and their interactions with Inughuit and Inuit The questionable adventures of various pseudo-scientific expeditions and hunting parties in the post-exploration era are almost amusing.

The third theme is "Change: the interplay of cultures and the environment, 1850-1940". This is where analysis of the material presented so far really begins. Despite starting with a flawed description of positive feedback systems (although the social-ecological system clearly changed, no self-reinforcement mechanism for such change is described), the section's first chapter provides wonderful examples of material technological adaptation and exchange among the different cultures. Discussion of intercultural relations is extremely insightful. The roles of gender relations, and cultural differences in world-views and organization are given particularly thorough treatment. Impacts of commercial exploitation and expeditions on wildlife populations are also examined. The parallels drawn between exploitation of marine and terrestrial species are striking, but it would have been even more interesting to see those ideas extended to what those impacts may have meant for Arctic ecosystems as a whole.

The fourth theme is "Circumstance, Change and Continuity: the Inuit on Ellesmere Island, 1950-2000" and concentrates on the relocation of Inuit to the High Arctic. Dick provides much for the reader to consider, without imposing his own judgment on this controversial episode. The chapters describe adaptation and survival in an unfamiliar place, and through examples and peoples' own words demonstrate the Inuit "ethos of adaptability". Dick convincingly shows that within the context of the High Arctic environment, material and technological interchanges among cultures really were bilateral, although other aspects of their relations clearly were not. The beginnings of Inuit assertion of their rights are traced to wildlife management controversies in the 1960s. The concluding chapter reflects on the narratives and four themes, but falls just short of satisfactorily weaving these elements together. Discussion of recent events, such as the establishment of Quttinirpaaq National Park, is brief compared to the treatme nt of other eras. Readers may be left wanting more, and hopefully Dick will deliver more in the future.

Regrettably, a lack of editorial polish is noticeable in sections of choppy and repetitive text, repeated quotations, and typographic errors. The maps presented are clear and adequate for their individual purposes. However, place names are numerous and may be difficult for some to keep track of. Many places are mentioned which do not appear on any map. A more comprehensively labeled map of Ellesmere Island and Greenland, or better yet, a copy of Hattersley-smith's (1998) toponymy, would greatly assist most readers. While Dick places less emphasis on topics of current interest (such as climate change and Aboriginal self-determination) than other recent comprehensive Arctic works have (e.g. Nuttall and Callaghan 2000), doing so would not have been consistent with either his style or the book's real strengths. Despite its shortcomings, the book's virtues dominate. Muskox Land conveys the sense of wonder which infects nearly everyone who visits Ellesmere Island, even today (e.g. Kobalenko 2002). Dick's awareness of the limitations to analyzing history gives the book a balanced, thoughtful tone. Most of all, it is Lyle Dick's sensitive portrayal and consideration of different cultural perspectives which puts Muskox Land in a unique position in Arctic literature.

References

Hattersley-Smith, G. 1998. Geographical Names of the ellesmere Island National Park Reserve and Vicinity. Arctic Institute of North America, Calgary, AB.

Kobalenko, J. 2002. Horizontal Everest: Extreme Journeys on Ellesmere Island. Penguin Books, Toronto, ON.

Nuttall, M. and Callaghan, T.V. 2000. The Arctic: Environment, People, Policy. Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam.