Minik Wallace facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minik Wallace
Minik in New York shortly after his arrival, 1897.
Born	ca. 1890 Etah, Greenland, Thule area
Died	October 29, 1918 (aged 28) Pittsburg, New Hampshire, United States

Minik Wallace (also known as Minik or Mene) was an Inughuaq boy born around 1890 in Greenland. In 1897, when he was about seven years old, he traveled to New York City with his father and other Inuit people. They were brought by the explorer Robert Peary to be studied at the American Museum of Natural History.

Sadly, most of the Inuit group, including Minik's father, soon died from tuberculosis (TB). The museum staff secretly put Minik's father's skeleton on display, even though Minik had asked for a proper burial. Minik was later adopted by William Wallace, who worked at the museum. Minik eventually returned to Greenland, but came back to the United States a few years later. He died in 1918 during the 1918 flu pandemic.

Minik's Early Life in Greenland

Minik grew up in northern Greenland among his people, the Inughuit. They are the northernmost group of Greenlandic Inuit. His father, Qisuk, was a well-known hunter. Minik's mother, Mannik, died from an illness shortly before 1897. Minik's father had met Robert Peary because Peary often hired local men for his trips to the Arctic.

Journey to the United States

In 1896, a scientist named Franz Boas asked Robert Peary to bring an Inuit person to the American Museum of Natural History. Boas wanted to learn about different cultures. In September 1897, Peary brought six Inuit people to the museum instead of just one.

The group included Minik, his father Qisuk, a shaman named Atangana and her husband Nuktaq, their adopted daughter Aviaq, and Aviaq's fiancé Uisaakassak. Peary had invited the adults on the trip, but they might not have fully understood why they were going. Some wanted to see new places, while others didn't want to leave their families. Peary had promised they would be able to return home to Greenland.

Soon after they arrived, the group became objects of study for the museum staff. The museum hadn't planned for a large group or their return, so the Inuit had to live in the museum's basement. Many people paid to see the Inuit group, who politely shook hands with visitors.

Tragedy: Deaths of the Inuit Group

By November 1897, all the Inuit had caught tuberculosis (TB). This was a common and serious illness back then, and it still affects Inuit communities today. Four of them were taken to Bellevue Hospital Center. Minik's father, Qisuk, was the first to die on February 17, 1898.

Minik begged for his father to have a proper burial, following their traditions. However, the museum staff wanted to keep Qisuk's body for study. So, they tricked Minik. They held a fake burial, putting stones in a coffin to make it heavy and covering a fake body with a cloth. Minik attended this burial in the dark.

The staff then sent Qisuk's real body to William Wallace, the museum's superintendent. He had a workshop where he prepared animal skeletons. Qisuk's body was prepared, and his skeleton was later put on display in the museum. Mr. Wallace did not tell Minik about this.

In March and April, two more Inuit died. Aviaq was the last to pass away on May 24. Her fiancé, Uisaakassak, then demanded to return to Greenland. He was given passage on a ship in July of that same summer.

Minik's Adoption and Growing Up

Minik, who was still only seven years old, was not sent home. Instead, he was adopted by William Wallace, the same man who had prepared his father's skeleton. Mr. Wallace cared for Minik like his own son, Willy, who was about the same age. From January 1899, Minik went to Mount Hope School and was a good student. Sometimes, reporters wrote stories about Minik and how he was adapting to American life.

Around 1901, William Wallace faced difficulties and lost his job at the museum. He struggled to find money to raise Minik, but he kept caring for him. Around 1906, Minik was shocked to read in the newspaper that his father's skeleton was on display at the museum. He learned this from his classmates.

Mr. Wallace supported Minik in asking the museum to return Qisuk's remains for a proper burial. The museum director, Hermon Carey Bumpus, avoided their requests. He also tried to stop any investigation into the Inuit exhibits. Franz Boas, who was now teaching at Columbia University, admitted the museum had tricked Minik years ago. But he didn't seem very interested in helping. Minik was never able to get his father's bones back.

Minik's Return to Greenland

Minik tried to get Robert Peary to take him back to Greenland, but Peary refused in 1907. Minik later got a college scholarship through a scientist he knew, even though he had left school. However, he became very sick with pneumonia for the third time, a result of his earlier tuberculosis, and had to give up his college plans.

In 1909, Minik finally returned to Greenland with Robert Peary. Although Peary's supporters told the news that Minik was sent back "laden with gifts," a Canadian author named Kenn Harper found records showing Minik returned with very little.

By this time, Minik had forgotten his first language, Inuktun, and much of his Inuit culture and skills. Life in Greenland was hard for him at first. An elderly angakkuq (shaman) named Soqqaq took him in, and the Inuit taught him the skills he needed as an adult. Minik became a good hunter. He also shared stories about his life in America, though he sometimes exaggerated them. He was briefly married, but it was not a happy marriage. He later worked as a guide and translator for visitors, playing an important role in the Crocker Land Expedition from 1913 to 1917. During this time, Minik decided to return to the United States, which he did in 1916.

Life and Death in the United States

In January 1917, Minik applied to become a U.S. citizen in New York. He described himself as "white, dark complexion, black hair, brown eyes, no other distinctive features." He also stated he was unmarried and gave up his Danish citizenship.

After returning to the U.S., Minik worked several jobs. He eventually found work at a lumber camp in North Stratford, New Hampshire. His boss, Afton Hall, invited Minik to live with his family, treating him like a son. Minik, along with many of the Hall family and workers, died during the terrible 1918 flu pandemic on October 29, 1918. He was buried in the Indian Stream Cemetery in Pittsburg, New Hampshire.

Returning the Inuit Remains

In 1986, Kenn Harper wrote a book about Minik called Give Me My Father's Body. He believed that the remains of Qisuk and the three other adult Inuit should be returned to Greenland. He worked hard to convince the Museum of Natural History to do this and dealt with the rules of the U.S. and Canadian governments.

In 1993, Harper succeeded in having the Inuit remains returned. In Qaanaaq, Greenland, he witnessed the traditional Inuit funeral ceremony for Qisuk and the three other people who had been taken to New York.

See also

• Eksperimentet (2010)
• Greenlandic Americans