Arctic Madness - The Anthropology of a Delusion

French missionary-linguist Émile Petitot spent twenty years near the Arctic Circle in Canada, publishing numerous works on First Nations languages and practices. He descended into delirium and began to summon imaginary persecutions, pen improbable interpretations of his Indigenous hosts, and burst into schizoid fury. Pierre Déléage has reconstructed the missionary's tragic story, delving into the illogic and hyperlogic of a mind entranced with Indigenous peoples against the backdrop of repressive church policies and the emergent social sciences of the nineteenth century.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 142 pages
\n Publication date: 16 October 2020
\n Publisher: HAU Society Of Ethnographic Theory
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Here is the rephrased text:

French missionary-linguist Émile Petitot (1838–1916) dedicated twenty years to studying First Nations languages and customs in Canada, near the Arctic Circle. However, his journey took a dark turn as he descended into delirium, experiencing hallucinations and conjuring up imaginary persecutions. He interpreted his Indigenous hosts in absurd and derogatory ways, and his behavior became increasingly erratic, culminating in schizoid fury. Pierre Déléage, in his meticulous exploration of Petitot's extensive letters and memoirs, has pieced together the tragic story of this missionary. Through Déléage's lens, we embark on a captivating journey into the illogical and hyperlogical mind of a man deeply captivated by Indigenous peoples, set against the backdrop of repressive church policies and the emerging social sciences of the nineteenth century. As Petitot's psyche deteriorated, he merged apocalyptic visions from the Bible with prophetic movements among First Nations peoples, unleashing paroxysms of violence against his colleagues and himself. This anthropological novella offers a profound insight into the complexities of living between radically different societies, making it a challenging and captivating read.

\n Weight: 192g\n
Dimension: 126 x 203 x 15 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781912808274\n \n