book chapter

Our Arctic province: Alaska and the Seal Islands

C. Scribner's sons • New York • Published In 1886 • Pages:

By: Elliott, Henry Wood.

Abstract

Shortly after the purchase of Alaska by the United States, the Census Bureau sent several men to Alaska to report on the conditions and the potentialities of the territory. Prominent among these men were Ivan Petroff, who was to report on all aspects of Alaska and its peoples, and Henry Elliott, a naturalist, whose point of departure was a study of the seal life of the area. The reports of both men were published in the Tenth Census (See 41: Elliott and 40: Petroff). Petroff also made a preliminary report to congress in which he gave valuable ethnographic material (See ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. Petroff, Ivan. Population and Resources of Alaska. House of Representatives, 46th Cong., 3rd Sess., Ex. Doc. No. 40. Washington, 1881). The Aleut material the present volume is largely a reprint of these earlier reports. Although it is not so stated, the data on the Pribilov Islands is from Elliott's article in the Tenth Census and the information on the other islands is almost a reprint of Petroff's report to Congress with supplementary remarks on Elliott's own observations and experiences. This document was included and the earlier reports used only for supplementary information. This source is particularly valuable for the excellent picture of Aleut life in the period of change from Russian to American influence. Elliott lived on the Pribilov Islands for about two years and travelled throughout the Aleutian chain. The following material was omitted: data on Eskimo and Indian groups in Alaska proper; the extensive descriptions of seal life and of other fauna in the area and a detailed geographic discussion. Except for the illustrations of seal life and detailed maps of Pribilov Islands, most of the illustrations are included -- either from this source or from 41: Elliott.

HRAF PubDate

2007

Region

North America

Sub Region

Arctic and Subarctic

Document Type

book chapter

Evaluation

Creator Types

Natural Scientist

Physical Scientist

Document Rating

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Leila S. Small ; 1950-1956

Field Date

1872-1874

Coverage Date

1872-1874

Coverage Place

Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States

Notes

by Henry W. Elliott

This document consists of excerpts

LCCN

01015648

LCSH

Aleuts