James Alexander Teit (15 April 1864 — 30 October 1922) was an anthropologist, photographer and guide who worked with Franz Boas to study Interior Salish

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

peoples in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He led expeditions throughout

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and made many contributions towards native ethnology. He also worked with

Edward Sapir Edward Sapir (; January 26, 1884 – February 4, 1939) was an American anthropologist-linguistics, linguist, who is widely considered to be one of the most important figures in the development of the discipline of linguistics in the United States ...

of the

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in 1911. In the later part of his life Teit worked tirelessly with the native people to preserve their human rights, as discussed by Wendy Wickwire in her work ''At the Bridge''. Teit was born in

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, Scotland but immigrated to

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and married a Nlaka'pamux woman named Susanna Lucy Antko. It was through his wife that he became knowledgeable of the culture and

language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

of the Nlaka'pamux people. Lucy died of pneumonia in 1899. After his wife's death Teit moved to the small town of Spences Bridge, British Columbia. While living there he married Josephine Morens. Together they had six children: Erik 1905, Inga 1907, Magnus 1909, Rolf 1912, Sigurd 1915, and Thorald 1919. Inga and Erik are buried in the Morens family graveyard with their baby brother. James and Josephine are buried in Merritt B.C.Canadian Museum of Civilization. ''James Alexander Teit''
Accessed 31 July 2008.

Publications by James Teit

AMNH Digital Repository

AMNH Digital Repository

AMNH Digital Repository

AMNH Digital Repository
*Teit, James A. (1912). "On Tahltan (Athabaskan) Work, 1912."
Summary Report of the Geological Survey of Canada 1912
''. (1914) Ottawa, Department of Mines. p. 484-48
GEOSCAN
*Haeberlin, H. K., Teit, James A., Roberts, Helen H., and Boas, Franz. (1930). "Coiled Basketry in British Columbia and Surrounding Region."
Forty-first Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1927-1928
'. Vol. 41, p. 441-522. Washington D.C., Smithsonian Bureau of American Ethnology
Description of whole report by archive.org
*Teit, James A. (1930). "Ethnobotany of the Thompson Indians, British Columbia."
Forty-fifth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1927-1928
'. Vol. 45, p. 441-522. Washington D.C., Smithsonian Bureau of American Ethnology
Description of whole report by archive.org
*Teit, James A. (1930). "The Salishan Tribes of the Western Plateaus."
Forty-fifth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1927-1928
'. Vol. 45, p. 23-396. Washington D.C., Smithsonian Bureau of American Ethnology
Description of whole report by archive.org
*Teit, James A. (1930). "Tattooing and Face and Body Painting of the Thompson Indians, British Columbia."
Forty-fifth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1927-1928
'. Vol. 45, p. 397-439. Washington D.C., Smithsonian Bureau of American Ethnology
Description of whole report by archive.org

References

External links

*
Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Teit, James Alexander 1864 births 1922 deaths People from Shetland Scottish emigrants to Canada Canadian anthropologists Canadian photographers Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)