This "esquimaux" woman lived at the mouth of the Mackenzie River, the area directly affected by the presence of white men. Syphilis and measles killed at least one-fifth of the population of the delta area and their numbers continued to decline, though the figures are deceptive since the whalers boosted the population by importing Alaskan eskimos. By 1900 most of the original Inuit of the delta area had been replaced in this fashion.
lnuit of the Mackenzie Delta, 1923.
In contrast to the adjoining photograph the dress of the native, especially the man's, has been considerably influenced by "southern" clothing. The couple have abandoned their nomadic life and have attached themselves to a permanent (probably missionary) settlement. Note the church in the background.
