Synopsis
In 1897, famed explorer Robert Peary took six Eskimos from their homes in Greenland to be "presented" to the American Museum of Natural History. Among the six were a father and a son. Soon, four were dead, including the father (whose bones, unbeknownst to the son, were put on display). One returned to Greenland. And the other -- the young boy -- remained, the only Eskimo in New York for twelve years.
His name was Minik. This is his story. A story of lies and deceptions. A story about the price of exploration. A story about discovering the truth of a culture.
Paula Rohrlick - KLIATT
The cover, featuring a small Inuit face peering out soberly, even fearfully, from a fur hood, is perfect for this tale based on the sad experiences of a real-life Inuit boy. In 1897, explorer Robert Peary brought back six Inuit from Greenland to New York City. Minik, who was about seven at the time, and his father, known as Smiler, were among them. Soon, however, four died of consumption, including Smiler, and one returned, leaving only young Minik. This novel opens in Quebec City in 1909, with a distraught 19-year-old Minik planning to commit suicide. We then flash back to his childhood in Greenland and early encounters with Peary, whose exotic ways and handy new weapons win over the native people. Lerangis does a great job of conveying how strange New York City appears to a boy who has never even seen a tree, and how the Inuits are treated as curiosities rather than people. They are housed in the American Museum of Natural History, and when they die their corpses are dissected and their bones mounted, Minik eventually discovers to his horror, instead of being buried accordingly to Inuit custom, as they would have him believe. After his father dies, Minik is brought up by the museum superintendent, Will Wallace. However, eventually Wallace loses his job and Minik loses his home. At the end of the story, he manages to return to Greenland, though an Author's Note reveals that Minik was unable to fit back into his native culture, and returned to the US. He worked in a New Hampshire logging camp and died of the Spanish flu in 1918. He never did recover his father's bones. This historical fiction succeeds in making Minik and his plight come to life, revealing how he was exploited andilluminating a dark corner of history. It's a more sophisticated tale than its brief length might imply, and thoughtful readers will appreciate its message about respecting other cultures and how it feels to belong nowhere. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2005, Scholastic, 160p., Ages 12 to 18.