University of Alaska Press, 2012 Cloth: 978-1-60223-178-8 | Paper: 978-1-60223-179-5 | eISBN: 978-1-60223-180-1 Library of Congress Classification QL737.U55 Dewey Decimal Classification 599.65809798
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK
In his final, major publication Ernest S. “Tiger” Burch Jr. reconstructs the distribution of caribou herds in northwest Alaska using data and information from research conducted over the past several decades as well as sources that predate western science by more than one hundred years. Additionally, he explores human and natural factors that contributed to the demise and recovery of caribou and reindeer populations during this time. Burch provides an exhaustive list of published and unpublished literature and interviews that will intrigue laymen and experts alike. The unflinching assessment of the roles that humans and wolves played in the dynamics of caribou and reindeer herds will undoubtedly strike a nerve. Supplemental essays before and after the unfinished work add context about the author, the project of the book, and the importance of both.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Ernest S. “Tiger” Burch Jr. was a social anthropologist specializing in the early historical social organization of Eskimo peoples. He was an advisor to the US Arctic Research Commission and a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council. Igor Krupnik is the curator of arctic and northern ethnology at the Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Jim Dau is a caribou research/management biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
REVIEWS
“This work is a reminder of how much Burch's voice—the social anthropologist versed in the biological sciences, with an ethnohistorian’s appreciation of oral evidence—will be missed.”
— Shepard Krech III, Brown University
“The book makes a significant contribution to Alaskan history, the social sciences, and human and wildlife ecology. . . . One is impressed with the tenacity, courage, and imagination it must have taken to write this book.”
— Greg Finstad, Arctic
"The importance of this volume goes well beyond the immediate subject. Burch skillfully demonstrates how local knowledge can be couple with ecological science to gain a more complete understanding of wildlife population dynamics. The book thoroughly cites the scientific literature and painstakingly evaluates the validity, or lack thereof, of local knowledge sources. . . . Highly recommended."
— Choice
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Maps
List of Figures
List of Tables
Part I: Reading Tiger Burch
Foreword by Igor Krupnik
Preface by Jim Dau
Acknowledgments Part II: Caribou Herds of Northwest Alaska
1. Introduction
2. Caribou versus Reindeer
3. Predators
4. The Western District
5. The Northern District
6. The Reindeer Era
Synopsis of Chapter 6
Synopsis of Chapter 7 Part III: Postscripts
Postscript by David R. Klein
A Life Well Lived, A Story Well Told by Polly Wheeler
Appendix 1: Memorandum (E. S. Burch Jr. to Bockstoce, Dau, Hill, Krupnik, and Pratt, February 26, 2010)
Appendix 2: Ecoregions of Northwest Alaska
Appendix 3: Historical Sources
Appendix 4: Sources of Information
Appendix 5: Notes on the Consumption of Caribou at Herschel Island During the Whaling Era
Abbreviations
Works Cited
Index
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
University of Alaska Press, 2012 Cloth: 978-1-60223-178-8 Paper: 978-1-60223-179-5 eISBN: 978-1-60223-180-1
In his final, major publication Ernest S. “Tiger” Burch Jr. reconstructs the distribution of caribou herds in northwest Alaska using data and information from research conducted over the past several decades as well as sources that predate western science by more than one hundred years. Additionally, he explores human and natural factors that contributed to the demise and recovery of caribou and reindeer populations during this time. Burch provides an exhaustive list of published and unpublished literature and interviews that will intrigue laymen and experts alike. The unflinching assessment of the roles that humans and wolves played in the dynamics of caribou and reindeer herds will undoubtedly strike a nerve. Supplemental essays before and after the unfinished work add context about the author, the project of the book, and the importance of both.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Ernest S. “Tiger” Burch Jr. was a social anthropologist specializing in the early historical social organization of Eskimo peoples. He was an advisor to the US Arctic Research Commission and a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council. Igor Krupnik is the curator of arctic and northern ethnology at the Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Jim Dau is a caribou research/management biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
REVIEWS
“This work is a reminder of how much Burch's voice—the social anthropologist versed in the biological sciences, with an ethnohistorian’s appreciation of oral evidence—will be missed.”
— Shepard Krech III, Brown University
“The book makes a significant contribution to Alaskan history, the social sciences, and human and wildlife ecology. . . . One is impressed with the tenacity, courage, and imagination it must have taken to write this book.”
— Greg Finstad, Arctic
"The importance of this volume goes well beyond the immediate subject. Burch skillfully demonstrates how local knowledge can be couple with ecological science to gain a more complete understanding of wildlife population dynamics. The book thoroughly cites the scientific literature and painstakingly evaluates the validity, or lack thereof, of local knowledge sources. . . . Highly recommended."
— Choice
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Maps
List of Figures
List of Tables
Part I: Reading Tiger Burch
Foreword by Igor Krupnik
Preface by Jim Dau
Acknowledgments Part II: Caribou Herds of Northwest Alaska
1. Introduction
2. Caribou versus Reindeer
3. Predators
4. The Western District
5. The Northern District
6. The Reindeer Era
Synopsis of Chapter 6
Synopsis of Chapter 7 Part III: Postscripts
Postscript by David R. Klein
A Life Well Lived, A Story Well Told by Polly Wheeler
Appendix 1: Memorandum (E. S. Burch Jr. to Bockstoce, Dau, Hill, Krupnik, and Pratt, February 26, 2010)
Appendix 2: Ecoregions of Northwest Alaska
Appendix 3: Historical Sources
Appendix 4: Sources of Information
Appendix 5: Notes on the Consumption of Caribou at Herschel Island During the Whaling Era
Abbreviations
Works Cited
Index
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled.
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE