German anthropologist Franz Boas once stated that, “If we were to select the most intelligent, imaginative, energetic, and emotionally stable third of mankind, all races would be present.” This expression of his views on the equality of all of humankind makes up the foundation of Boas’ research, ideas, and discoveries. Franz Boas: The Shackles of Tradition, a film by Bruce Dakowski, precisely describes Boas’ account into the lives of many indigenous people whose cultures are slowly on the verge of extinction. Born in Germany in 1858, Boas studied geography in school and then went on to train for the military in 1881. As a part of his geography training at the University of Heidelberg, Boas ventured out in 1883 to the Canadian Arctic coastline with hopes of successfully mapping out the scarcely populated area. The Europeans had not done much research in the Baffin Island region as far as culture went either, and, Boas, being the curious and open-minded man he was, decided he would “collect anthropological material and study the Eskimos” (Dakowski). Before setting off, he studied the Inuit languages and customs. As if these rigorously difficult studies were an introduction to the challenges he would soon face, Boas quickly discovered the true meaning of “culture shock” after traveling 3,000 miles by boats, sleds, and foot. Once there, he became completely immersed in their culture. His mind was captured in awe of these strange, yet incredibly intelligent people. After living with the Eskimos and doing as they did for twelve months, Boas had gained a staggeringly impressive amount of information which has since then been a major contributing factor to the advancement of anthropology. After settling in the United States, Boas maintained a passionate interest in history and culture. He became curator at the New York City Museum of National History. His research