J. Sybylla Smith, In Conversation with Denis Defibaugh
Episode #15 Summary:
Found glass plate negatives of an unprecedented exploration of Greenland eighty five years ago inspired a comparative study of contemporary Inuit culture, livelihood, tradition and adaptation by R.I.T. professor and documentary photographer, Denis Defibaugh.
Episode Notes
Defibaugh, alongside a selective team of scientists, historians, and anthropologists, in collaboration with the National Science Foundation, Nikon Camera and a host of cultural organizations in Greenland, created a modern and multi-media ethnology of life above the Arctic Circle. Living among the Inuit, over 15 months in four progressively remote locations, Defibaugh was able to establish portrait studios and conduct middle school photo workshops with exhibitions of their work, providing a contemporary and interactive visual record of these endangered indigenous people.
In this book group, Denis Defibaugh discusses, among other things:
Persistence in grant writing - (hint his third attempt was the charm)
The power of collaboration across auspices and professions
The ability to communicate and form friendship without shared language
The value of embedding in a culture to provide a reflective cultural representation
The wonders of whale meat, reindeer and wolf fish
Santa’s Summer address
Referenced in the episode
North by Nuuk : Greenland After Kent
Asanninneq - Hans-Ole Amossen Jam
Nanook - Ingerlaliinnaleqaagut
Music of additional interest:
DeBartali Crew that Hans Ole put together.
Uummannaq Childrens Home singers; traditional music.