author
Lucien M. (Lucien McShan) Turner
An American ethnologist and naturalist, he explored Alaska and the eastern Canadian Arctic in the late 19th century, gathering observations that still interest readers of Arctic history and Indigenous cultures. His work combined field science, meteorology, and firsthand notes from some of the North’s most remote regions.
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About the author
He was an American ethnologist and naturalist active in the late 1800s, remembered for fieldwork in Alaska, Labrador, and Ungava. He served with the U.S. Army Signal Corps and collected natural history and ethnological material for what became part of the Smithsonian's holdings.
From 1874 to 1877, he worked as a meteorological observer at St. Michael, Alaska, and later helped train observers in the Aleutians. His writing grew out of years spent in the North, where he recorded wildlife, weather, and detailed observations about local communities.
His best-known work includes Contributions to the Natural History of Alaska, and his papers remain valuable to historians of Arctic science and ethnography. Although some older ethnological writing reflects the limits of its era, his field notes and collections continue to offer a vivid record of northern environments and 19th-century research travel.