Two More Succumb to Cancer

In recent weeks, two other people I know, both Arctic anthropologists, have died because of cancer. I worked with both individuals at some point.

Ernest "Tiger" Burch died on September 16, 2010. While the obituary didn't give a cause of death, they are saying that donations can go to the American Cancer Society. He also last emailed me last year asking how I was doing. He told me he was okay. He also old me to "stay tough". Tiger gave me a lot of encouragement, mostly when I was just starting out, with my dissertation research, and most recently giving me comments on an article I had submitted for publication.

The other sad loss to Arctic anthropology is Herbert Anungazuk . I knew that he had been fighting cancer for a few years as well. I did some fieldwork with him in Wales in 2003, I think. He always spoke so lyrically of the way of life of his ancestors.

Damn cancer.