Minik Wallace (c. 1890 – October 29, 1918) was an Inughuaq (Inuk) brought as a child in 1897 from Greenland to New York City with his father and others by the explorer Robert Peary. The six Inuit were studied by staff of the American Museum of Natural History, which had custody. The adults and one child died soon of tuberculosis (TB), and one young man was returned to Greenland. After deceiving Minik with a staged burial, the museum put the skeleton of his father on exhibit. Minik was adopted by William Wallace, the museum’s building superintendent, and did not return to Greenland until after 1910. He returned to the United States a few years later, where he remained and worked until dying of influenza in the 1918 pandemic. The Memory Palace episode #23 “400 Words for 79th Street”, released on December 10, 2009 was dedicated to the story of Minik Wallace.
The Memory Palace episode #23: “400 Words for 79th Street” Published on December 10, 2009
You can read lots and lots about Minik Wallace. (So much so that I felt a little lame about doing it). There’s even a quite good American Experience documentary. However, special commendation has to go out to Kenn Harper, a First Nations author (I believe) from up Canada Way, who not only wrote the (seemingly) definitive “Give Me My Father’s Body: The Life of Minik, the New York Eskimo” and was the guy who got Minik’s father Qisuk’s bones repatriated. Amazing.
Bookending music is “Shame” by Low. Two bits in the middle are by Mi and L’au: “They Marry,” and “Philosopher.”
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