Stefánsson, Vilhjalmur (1879-1962)

Canadian explorer and writer. He made three expeditions to the Canadian Arctic, learning the Inuit language and employing their hunting and travelling techniques in his exploration. He then began work as a scholar, lecturer, and author, attempting to bring the world's attention to the potential and strategic importance of the Arctic.

He was born at Arnes, Manitoba, of Icelandic ancestry, and graduated at the State University of Iowa. His first Arctic expedition (1906-07), is described in Hunters of the Great North; the second (1908-12) in My Life with the Eskimo; and the third (1913-18), in The Friendly Arctic.