In the late summer of 1921 one of Denmark’s and Green- land’s most extensive and significant expeditions, the 5th Thule Expedition, began. It went from Greenland across Arctic Canada, along the North coast of Alaska to the Bering Strait and Siberia.
The leader of the expedition, Knud Rasmussen, or Kunu- unnguaq, as he was called back home in Greenland, was already known in large parts of the Nordic region at that time. He had taken part in and partly led a number of expeditions in Greenland and had, thus, gathered extensive cultural knowledge which was crucial for understanding Greenland.
The aim of the 5th Thule Expedition was to engage and document the Inuit people who lived across the North American continent, to acquire new knowledge and gain insight into their culture and way of life. Knud Rasmussen was especially accompanied by two team members, a woman named Arnarulunnguaq and a young man called Qaavigarssuaq.
The expedition began in Greenland and continued for the subsequent three years until Knud Rasmussen, Arnarulunguaq and Qaavigarssuaq reached the eastern tip of Siberia in 1924. Together they managed to prove that Inuit in Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Siberia all share the same origin. Although their way of life sometimes differed significantly, depending on living conditions, primary quarry and lifestyle, they were all connected through language, mythology and shared stories that could be traced back hundreds and even thousands of years. The expedition formed the basis for one of the world’s finest and most extensive, Arctic collections, which can be found today at the National Museum in Copenhagen.
