The Central Eskimos

Record summary

Boas’s monograph on Central Eskimo communities describes shamans, spirit helpers, souls, ritual prohibitions and beings associated with marine animals and dangerous places. Although its first publication predates the requested period, it remained a major reference during the early twentieth century and is a specific documentary lead for Arctic intermediary-being traditions. The relevant material concerns religious narratives and social practice, not independently verified apparitions. Researchers should establish which edition they use and compare Boas’s summaries with later recordings by Inuit scholars and ethnographers.