John J. Honigmann was an anthropologist of rare energy and talent. In addition to writing numerous books and dozens of articles, he is the only anthropologist whose research and field experience extend across the three northern culture areas of Canada -- the Western Subarctic, the Eastern Subarctic and the Arctic. Faces of the North presents a record of exceptionally high quality photographs depicting this extraordinary anthropological journey.
Cultural anthropologist Bryan Cummins has compiled a written and photographic account of Honigmann's ethnographic work from the 1940s to the 1960s. The result is a stunning ethnohistorical account of Canada's First Nations in the mid-20th century. The author also provides an overview of northern First Nations (Algonkians, Dene and Inuit), a history of Canadian anthropology and the sub-discipline of ethnographic photography, and a biographical account of Dr. J.J. Honigmann, the acknowledged pre-eminent chronicler of the cultural diversity of Canada's north. His superb photographs, many of which are found throughout Faces of the North, are a rich treasure of ethnographic images depicting Inuit and First Nations culture.
close this panelBryan Cummins is a cultural anthropologist who conducts research among Canadian First Nations, particularly in the Eastern Subarctic. His education consists of a BA (Honours) in history and anthropology from Trent University, an MA in education from Concordia University and an MA and Ph.D. in anthropology from McMaster University. He has taught at Trent University, McMaster University, the University of Western Ontario, Memorial University of Newfoundland and the University of Guelph.
Cummins has worked with the Algonquin of Ontario and Quebec and with the Cree of Ontario. Among the dozen books he has authored or co-authored are Full Circle: Canada's First Nations (2001) (with John Steckley), First Nations, First Dogs: Canadian Aboriginal Ethnocynology (2002), Colonel Richardson's Airedales: The Making of the British War Dog School, 1900-1918 (2003) and "Only God Can Own the Land": The Attawapiskat Cree (2004). He is the producer/director/writer of Attawapiskat Goose Hunt, an ethnographic film about the Attawapiskat Cree. The film has aired on The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
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