Diamond Jenness
Diamond Jenness was a prominent New Zealand-born anthropologist, born on February 10, 1886, who made significant contributions to the study of Indigenous cultures in Canada and the Arctic. Initially pursuing a degree in classics from the University of New Zealand, his path shifted towards anthropology after meeting the influential anthropologist Marius Barbeau at Oxford University, where he graduated in 1911. Jenness's early career included a notable assignment as an Oxford Scholar in Papua New Guinea, where he studied the Aboriginal cultures of the d'Entrecasteaux Islands.
In 1913, he participated in the Canadian Arctic Expedition, which faced a tragic shipwreck that resulted in the loss of many crew members. Surviving this ordeal, Jenness spent two years studying the Copper Inuit, becoming fluent in their language and documenting their music and literature, culminating in the publication of his book "The People of the Twilight" in 1928. His career further expanded as he served in World War I and later became the chief anthropologist at the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Canada, where he authored over one hundred works on Indigenous populations. Jenness received numerous accolades throughout his life, including the Massey Medal in 1962, and was posthumously honored with a Companion of the Order of Canada Medallion after his death on November 29, 1969.
Subject Terms
Diamond Jenness
Anthropologist
- Born: February 10, 1886
- Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
- Died: November 29, 1969
- Place of death: Chelsea, Quebec
Contribution: Diamond Jenness was a New Zealand-born Canadian anthropologist who conducted pioneering studies of the native peoples of Canada and the Arctic. His work introduced the first scholarship centering on the aboriginal and First Nations populations of Canada and the Inuit people of the Arctic. In addition to his career in anthropology, Jenness was a renowned linguist, musicologist, and archaeologist.
Early Life and Education
Diamond Jenness was born February 10, 1886, in Wellington, New Zealand. He graduated from the University of New Zealand with a degree in classics and attended Oxford University in England with the intention of continuing this line of study. His plans changed, however, when he met anthropologist Marius Barbeau, who inspired Jenness to pursue anthropology instead. Jenness switched his focus and graduated from Oxford with an anthropology degree in 1911.
Early Career
After completing his studies at Oxford, Jenness was named Oxford Scholar to Papua, New Guinea. From 1911 to 1912, Jenness studied the Aboriginal people of the d’Entrecasteaux Islands, learning their history, culture, and way of life. Upon his return to his native New Zealand, Jenness was recruited in 1913 to serve as ethnologist on the Canadian Arctic Expedition. The expedition was besieged by tragedy when Arctic weather destroyed the ship carrying the crew. Henri Beuchat, another ethnologist on the expedition, and twelve other men were killed. Jenness and several other men survived, however, as they were on a hunting expedition when the ship was destroyed.
Jenness, the only remaining ethnologist on the expedition, dove into his work. In the spring of 1914, Jenness left Harrison Bay, Alaska, and traveled toward Bernard Harbor in the Coronation Gulf region, the site of the expedition’s base camp. He eventually came into contact with the Copper Inuit who resided in the Coronation region. Jenness remained in the region for two years. He became fluent in the Copper Inuit language and phonographically recorded their unique musical styles, drumbeats, and literature. He published a book in 1928 titled The People of the Twilight, which recalled his experiences there.
Later Career
After completing his work with the Copper Inuit, Jenness joined with the Canadian Expeditionary Force as a gunner during World War I. He served with the unit from 1917 to 1919. When his military service was complete, he took a position with the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Canada.
Jenness eventually took over the role of chief anthropologist for the museum, a position he held until his retirement in 1948. He continued his studies of the native populations of Canada and the Arctic and authored more than one hundred books detailing his findings.
With the onset of World War II, Jenness joined the Royal Canadian Air Force. He served in several civilian positions during the war, including a stint as chief of the inter-service topographical section of the Department of National Defense. In 1948, Jenness retired from military service.
Personal Life and Death
Jenness married Frances Ellen Bleakney following his World War I service. He received numerous awards and honorary doctorates for his lifelong work, including the Massey Medal in 1962, which is awarded by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for extraordinary contributions to the development or study of Canadian geography. Jenness died November 29, 1969, in Chelsea, Quebec. Even after his death, Jenness continued to be remembered; among the honors he posthumously received was a Companion of the Order of Canada Medallion, which was presented to his widow in March 1970.
Bibliography
Hancock, Robert L. A. “Diamond Jenness’s Arctic Ethnography and the Potential for Canadian Anthropology.” Histories of Anthropology Annual 2 (2006): 155–211. Print.
Jenness, Diamond, and Stuart E. Jenness. Arctic Odyssey: The Diary of Diamond Jenness, Ethnologist with the Canadian Arctic Expedition in Northern Alaska and Canada, 1913–1916. Hull: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1991. Print.
Jenness, Diamond, and Stuart E. Jenness. Through Darkening Spectacles: Memoirs of Diamond Jenness. Gatineau: Canadian Museum of Civilization, 2008. Print.
Richling, Barnett. In Twilight and in Dawn: A Biography of Diamond Jenness. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s UP, 2012. Print.
Rosano, Michela. “Ties that Bind: the RCGS and the first Canadian Arctic Expedition.” Canadian Geographic 133.1 (Jan./Feb. 2013): 10. Print.