White Lies About The Inuit Summary
Steckley, J. (2008). White Lies about the Inuit (p. 168). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
In White Lies about the Inuit, John Steckley attempts to dismantle many popular “lies” about the Inuit by examining their sources in both academia and in pop culture (Steckley, 2008). Why is he qualified to write this book? Steckley, who holds a PhD in education from the University of Toronto, is also the last known speaker of the Huron language (Goddard, 2010). He is clearly an eminent scholar who has spent his life studying indigenous people and their cultures in order to preserve them for the future.
However, White Lies about the Inuit is no dry textbook or dictionary. Even its title is playful and provocative, because it incorporates two important
aspects of the Inuit and of Steckley’s project: first, the phrase “White lies” refers to seemingly innocuous exaggerations or untruths. When the phrase “about the Inuit” is added, however, it implicates the scholars and popular media that have popularized the myths that Steckley uses the book to debunk. In fact, the title itself is closely related to the book’s thesis: that the popular “white lies” about the Inuit are anything but, and have obfuscated or even “whited out” major aspects of their culture, and this has damaged their culture, its preservation, and its depiction.
Steckley moves from a depiction of “imagining” the Inuit to deconstructing four major theorists whose depictions of the Inuit have been particularly popular. He then moves to the apocryphal statement that the Inuit have fifty-two words for snow, traces it to its origin, and uses this to make an argument about what is essentially the damages of colonialism. He then turns to darker subjects such as elder abandonment and finally offers an argument about the cultural construction of the Inuit.
While Steckley makes a lot of puns, which do not always work – and sometimes detract from the seriousness of his work – the work is still very significant. It can get students to think about issues they’ve never considered before, such as the meaning and damage of these stereotypes and images. It is clear from his credentials and research that you can’t really argue with what he presents. However, at times his overly “jokey” style, such as with the puns, detracts from the seriousness of his presentation, even though it is clear that by using them he attempts to underline the importance of not using such jokes. This is the only major weakness in the book, in my opinion.
Steckley certainly achieved his purpose of offering a “cold,” hard truth about the Inuit in contrast to all the ‘white lies.’ It is a really useful book, especially for undergraduates, as it can take some of these myths and lies out of circulation and replace them instead with real information about how much the Inuit have suffered. The conclusions he offers – that the process of lies is common globally, as well as the fact that these “lies” about the Inuit are eerily similar to other myths about other indigenous people – are hard to argue with in light of the evidence he presents.
Overall, this book is easy and enjoyable to read, making it a good choice for students. Steckley is a great authority on the subject and this work represents a significant contribution to anthropology.
Works Cited
Goddard, J. (2010). Scholar sole speaker of Huron language | Toronto Star. Toronto Star.
Steckley, J. (2008). White Lies about the Inuit (p. 168). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
In White Lies about the Inuit, John Steckley attempts to dismantle many popular “lies” about the Inuit by examining their sources in both academia and in pop culture (Steckley, 2008). Why is he qualified to write this book? Steckley, who holds a PhD in education from the University of Toronto, is also the last known speaker of the Huron language (Goddard, 2010). He is clearly an eminent scholar who has spent his life studying indigenous people and their cultures in order to preserve them for the future.
However, White Lies about the Inuit is no dry textbook or dictionary. Even its title is playful and provocative, because it incorporates two important
aspects of the Inuit and of Steckley’s project: first, the phrase “White lies” refers to seemingly innocuous exaggerations or untruths. When the phrase “about the Inuit” is added, however, it implicates the scholars and popular media that have popularized the myths that Steckley uses the book to debunk. In fact, the title itself is closely related to the book’s thesis: that the popular “white lies” about the Inuit are anything but, and have obfuscated or even “whited out” major aspects of their culture, and this has damaged their culture, its preservation, and its depiction.
Steckley moves from a depiction of “imagining” the Inuit to deconstructing four major theorists whose depictions of the Inuit have been particularly popular. He then moves to the apocryphal statement that the Inuit have fifty-two words for snow, traces it to its origin, and uses this to make an argument about what is essentially the damages of colonialism. He then turns to darker subjects such as elder abandonment and finally offers an argument about the cultural construction of the Inuit.
While Steckley makes a lot of puns, which do not always work – and sometimes detract from the seriousness of his work – the work is still very significant. It can get students to think about issues they’ve never considered before, such as the meaning and damage of these stereotypes and images. It is clear from his credentials and research that you can’t really argue with what he presents. However, at times his overly “jokey” style, such as with the puns, detracts from the seriousness of his presentation, even though it is clear that by using them he attempts to underline the importance of not using such jokes. This is the only major weakness in the book, in my opinion.
Steckley certainly achieved his purpose of offering a “cold,” hard truth about the Inuit in contrast to all the ‘white lies.’ It is a really useful book, especially for undergraduates, as it can take some of these myths and lies out of circulation and replace them instead with real information about how much the Inuit have suffered. The conclusions he offers – that the process of lies is common globally, as well as the fact that these “lies” about the Inuit are eerily similar to other myths about other indigenous people – are hard to argue with in light of the evidence he presents.
Overall, this book is easy and enjoyable to read, making it a good choice for students. Steckley is a great authority on the subject and this work represents a significant contribution to anthropology.
Works Cited
Goddard, J. (2010). Scholar sole speaker of Huron language | Toronto Star. Toronto Star.
Steckley, J. (2008). White Lies about the Inuit (p. 168). Toronto: University of Toronto Press.