Ice Window

A young, optimistic teacher eager to work with another culture, Ellen Lopp welcomed the challenges that life in an isolated coastal village of northwest Alaska offered. Ellen was both a teacher and a student, helping a generation of Native Inupiat adjust to the white culture being thrust upon them while learning their language and lifeways herself. Ellen shared her observations and experiences in letters to family and friends, leaving us a window that expands our knowledge of a vital period in Alaska history with an intimate view of people's lives and turn-of-the-century events at Cape Prince of Wales. Most important, Ellen's letters clearly show the kind of person who was the best representative of a culture destined to change another culture. Unlike many teachers and missionaries, the Lopps accepted the villagers as their friends rather than people to be subjugated. Ellen's letters make up the core of this book, and are augmented with annotations and copious photographs, making this highly readable and beautifully produced volume a bestseller among both scholars and the general public.