Columbia Eneutseak (January 16, 1893 – August 16, 1959), also billed as Nancy Columbia and Nancy Eneutseak, was an American performer in silent films, known for writing and starring in ''

The Way of the Eskimo ''The Way of the Eskimo'' is a lost 1911 American silent drama film that portrayed the Inuit or "Eskimo" culture of northeastern Canada along the coast of Labrador. Directed by William V. Mong and produced by Selig Polyscope Company, this "phot ...

'' (1911).

Early life

Nancy Helena Columbia Palmer was born at the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordi ...

in Chicago in 1893, the daughter of Esther Eneutseak. Her family were

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

, from

Labrador , nickname = "The Big Land" , etymology = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Canada , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 ...

, part of the "Eskimo Village" ethnographic exhibit at the exposition. She was named by

Bertha Honore Palmer Bertha Matilde Palmer (; May 22, 1849 – May 5, 1918) was an American businesswoman, socialite, and philanthropist. Early life Born as Bertha Matilde Honoré in Louisville, Kentucky, her father was businessman Henry Hamilton Honoré. Known wit ...

, a white socialite and head of the exposition's Board of Lady Managers. Eneutseak was a child when she appeared in similar exhibits at the

Cotton States and International Exposition The Cotton States and International Exposition was a world's fair held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States in 1895. The exposition was designed "to foster trade between southern states and South American nations as well as to show the products an ...

in Atlanta in 1895, and the

Pan-American Exposition The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood A ...

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

in 1901, and in traveling shows with the Barnum & Bailey and Ringling circus companies, and at

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...

. From 1896 to 1899, she was in Labrador with her grandparents. From 1899 to 1901, she joined her family on a tour in England, Spain, France, Italy, and North Africa. In 1904, she was part of the Eskimo Village at the

Louisiana Purchase Exposition The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, informally known as the St. Louis World's Fair, was an World's fair, international exposition held in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. Local, state, and federal funds tota ...

in St. Louis. Her name, likeness, and biography were included in school textbooks and other publications.

Career

In 1909, Eneutseak was voted "Queen of the Carnival" at the

Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition The Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, acronym AYP or AYPE, was a world's fair held in Seattle in 1909 publicizing the development of the Pacific Northwest. It was originally planned for 1907 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Klondike Gold R ...

in Seattle. Soon after, Eneutseak starred in the

Selig Polyscope Company The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company that was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago. The company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films starring Tom ...

's ''The Way of the Eskimo'' (1911, now lost) based on a story she wrote while she was a teenager. She also appeared in ''

Lost in the Arctic ''Lost in the Arctic'' is a lost 1911 American silent drama film that portrayed the Inuit or "Eskimo" culture in the northern coastal area of Labrador.Harper, Kenn (2014)"Nancy Columbia: Inuit star of stage, screen and camera" ''Above & Beyond' ...

'' (1911), ''The Seminole's Sacrifice'' (1911), ''The Witch of the Everglades'' (1911), ''Life on the Border'' (1911), ''God's Country and the Woman'' (1916), '' The Flame of the Yukon'' (1917), and ''

The Last of the Mohicans ''The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757'' is a historical romance written by James Fenimore Cooper in 1826. It is the second book of the '' Leatherstocking Tales'' pentalogy and the best known to contemporary audiences. '' The Pathfinde ...

'' (1920). In 1915, after appearing at the

Panama–Pacific International Exposition The Panama–Pacific International Exposition was a world's fair held in San Francisco, California, United States, from February 20 to December 4, 1915. Its stated purpose was to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal, but it was widely se ...

in San Francisco, Eneutseak and her family moved to

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, to establish an "Eskimo Village" attraction on the city's Ocean Park pier; their attraction and several others were destroyed by fire in Ocean Park at the end of 1915. After marriage and motherhood, she managed an apartment building in Southern California.

Personal life

Eneutseak married projectionist Raymond S. Melling in the 1920s; they had a daughter, Esther Sue Melling, born in 1927, who married actor

Ross Elliott Ross Elliott (born Elliott Blum, June 18, 1917 – August 12, 1999) was an American television and film character actor. He began his acting career in the Mercury Theatre, where he performed in ''The War of the Worlds'', Orson Welles' fam ...

in 1954. Eneutseak had a stroke in 1948, and died in 1959, aged 66 years, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. From 2014 to 2018, there was an exhibit about Eneutseak at the Velaslavasay Panorama in Los Angeles.

References

External links

*
"Nancy Columbia, Dressed Warmly, View 1"
a photograph from the Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection, Los Angeles Public Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Eneutseak, Columbia 1893 births 1959 deaths Inuit actresses American silent film actresses 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Chicago Human zoo performers