Ludger Müller-wille

Biography

1965-71 Studies in Ethnology, Geography, European Prehistory, Nordic and Finnish Languages, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster (Germany), 1965-66, 1967-71, and University of Helsinki, Helsinki (Finland), 1966-67 1968-69 Doctoral research on ethnic identity in the Sámi-Finnish community of Ohcejohka/Utsjoki, Sápmi, Finland 1971 Dr. phil, Ethnology (major), Geography, European Prehistory (minors), Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster (Germany) 1972 Librarian, University Library, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster (Germany) 1972-74 post-doctoral fellow, research in northern Canada and northernmost Fenno-Scandia, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG - German Research Foundation), Bonn (Germany) 1975-76 Scholarship Officer, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD - German Academic Exchange Service), Bonn (Germany) 1977-2008 professor, Geography and Northern Studies, Department of Geography, McGill University, Montréal (Québec) Canada Various guest professorships at universities in Marburg, Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki, Kuopio, Oulu, Rovaniemi (Finland) and Fairbanks, Alaska (USA). 1982-94 with Linna Weber Müller-Wille, toponymic surveys with Inuit experts in communities through Nunavik and Nunavut, Canada, in cooperation with Avataq Cultural Institute and Inuit Cultural Institute. 1990-1995 Founding member and first president, International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA); 1992, convener of the First International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, Québec, Canada. 1994-96 Director/Professor, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland 1995- Docent, Social Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lapland, Rovaniemi, Finland 2008 Retired from McGill University (August 31, 2008) 2008- Continuing research, publishing, editing, advising and consulting in fields as follows: Since the late 1960s I have conducted research in cultural anthropology, geography and toponymy in subarctic Fenno-Scandia (Sápmi, Finland and Norway) with Sámi and Finns and in subarctic and arctic Canada (Nunavut, Nunavik, northern Saskatchewan and Québec) with Inuit, Dene, Naskapi, and Cree. The various foci have been ethnic identity in bi- cultural communities, languages in contact, herding and hunting economies under modern management and technological changes (e.g. introduction of snowmobiles and other devices), local utilization of mountain birch, geographical perception and names (toponymy) based on large-scale place name surveys in arctic Canada. Furthermore, I continue to conduct research into the early history of arctic anthropology and geography related to Franz Boas (1858-1942), Wilhelm Weike (1859-1917), Inuit, and Whalers on Baffin Island in the 1880s.

Research Interest

Anthropology & geography of northernmost Europe and arctic Canada