National Outdoor Book Award
1 appearances
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Edition 19 (2015) Winner
Ernest Thompson Seton
アーネスト・トンプソン・シートン
Ernest Thompson Seton
Aliases:
Ernest Evan Thompson / Ernest Seton-Thompson / Black Wolf / Chief
Pen Names:
Black Wolf（Used as a stylized/native persona name in some contexts）,
Ernest Seton-Thompson（Early variant of his surname used in publications and personally）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1860-08-14 （South Shields, County Durham, England, United Kingdom）
- Died
- 1946-10-23 （Seton Village, New Mexico, United States） age 86
- Nationality
- British, American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada → Manitoba, Canada → New York City, United States → Cos Cob, Greenwich, Connecticut, United States → Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States → Seton Village, New Mexico, United States
Career
- Occupations
- Author, Wildlife artist, Naturalist, Illustrator, Youth leader (founder of Woodcraft movement)
- Active Years
- 1882-1946
- Affiliations
- Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (associate member), Camp-Fire Club of America, Woodcraft League of America (founder), Boy Scouts of America (founding committee/first Chief Scout)
- Memberships
- Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, Camp-Fire Club of America, Boy Scouts of America (founding committee)
- Influenced By
- John Colin Forbes (teacher), William Brodie (naturalist associate)
- Influenced
- Robert Baden-Powell (founder of Scouting), Roger Tory Peterson (inspired his field guide ideas), Robert T. Bakker (influenced by Seton's predator-perspective animal stories), Leaders and participants of the Woodcraft movement / Woodcraft Rangers
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario College of Art (OCAD) | — | Art | — | 1879 | Canada |
| Royal Academy (London) | — | Art | — | 1880頃 | United Kingdom |
| Académie Julian (Paris) | — | Art | — | 1890年代 | France |
Ontario College of Art (OCAD)
Art
Period:
1879
Country:
Canada
Studied with John Colin Forbes
Royal Academy (London)
Art
Period:
1880頃
Country:
United Kingdom
Won a scholarship to study in London
Académie Julian (Paris)
Art
Period:
1890年代
Country:
France
Studied painting and drawing
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | John Burroughs Medal | — | — | John Burroughs Association | 受賞 |
| 1928 | Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal | Lives of Game Animals (volume 4) | — | National Academy of Sciences | 受賞 |
| — | Silver Buffalo Award | — | — | Boy Scouts of America | 受賞 |
John Burroughs Medal
1927
Organization:
John Burroughs Association
Result:
受賞
Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal
1928
Work:
Lives of Game Animals (volume 4)
Organization:
National Academy of Sciences
Result:
受賞
Silver Buffalo Award
Organization:
Boy Scouts of America
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Wild Animals I Have Known
1898 Animal fiction / nature writingA collection of short stories written from animal perspectives; includes the famous "Lobo the King of Currumpaw."
WildlifeHuman–nature interactionEmpathy and ethics
Adaptations
- [Television (anime adaptation)] Seton's Wild Animals (TV anime) (1989)
Translations
- Selected stories translated into Japanese and other languages
The Birchbark Roll of the Woodcraft Indians
1906 Practical manual / youth educationCollection of articles and lore for the Woodcraft Indians; presents nature-based character-building and codes for youth.
Outdoor educationIncorporation of Native American elements (content sometimes problematic)Moral education
Bannertail: The Story of a Gray Squirrel
1922 Children's literature / animal storyChildren's tale about a gray squirrel; adapted into a Japanese anime series and enjoyed wide popularity.
Coming of ageAnimal perspectiveSurvival in nature
Adaptations
- [Television (anime)] Bannertail: The Story of Gray Squirrel (TV anime) (1979)
Lives of Game Animals
1925 Natural history / zoologyFour-volume account of game animals in North America combining observations and illustrations.
EcologyBehavioral accountsConservation-minded observation
Bibliography
- Mammals of Manitoba
- Birds of Manitoba
- How to Catch Wolves
- Wild Animals I Have Known
- The Birchbark Roll of the Woodcraft Indians
- Bannertail: The Story of a Gray Squirrel
- Lives of Game Animals
- Trail of an Artist-Naturalist: The Autobiography
Adaptations
- 1977 Japanese TV anime based on "Monarch: The Big Bear of Tallac"
- 1979 Japanese anime adaptation of Bannertail (Nippon Animation)
- 1989–1990 TV anime series "Seton's Wild Animals" adapting various works
- Mentioned or dramatized in documentaries and TV (e.g., segments about Lobo)
Translations of Works
- Seton's works translated into Japanese (including manga adaptations) and other languages
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Anthropomorphic animal perspectivesNaturalist, detail-oriented descriptive styleDidactic and educative tone
- Recurring Motifs
- Wild animalsTracking and signsWilderness and woodsElements of Indigenous lore (content now sometimes criticized)
Legacy
Known as a writer, artist and naturalist who popularized animal-centered fiction. He founded the Woodcraft movement and helped shape early Boy Scouts of America practices, influenced field guide development, and left a substantial legacy—though some uses of Indigenous elements in his work are now critiqued.
Museums
- Seton Memorial Library and Museum at Philmont Scout Ranch Philmont Scout Ranch, New Mexico, United States
- Seton Castle / Academy for the Love of Learning (archives & exhibition) Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
Academic Societies
- Royal Canadian Academy of Arts
- Camp-Fire Club of America
Archives
- Library and Archives Canada (Ernest Thompson Seton fonds, R7616)
- Philmont Scout Ranch (Seton Memorial collections)
- Academy for the Love of Learning (Seton Legacy Project archives)
In Popular Culture
- Japanese anime adaptations (1977 Monarch, 1979 Bannertail, 1989–1990 Seton's Wild Animals series, etc.)
- Manga adaptations and life-romanticizing manga (e.g., Sanpei Shirato, Jiro Taniguchi)
- Featured in U.S. TV programs and documentaries (notably stories about Lobo)
Quotes
-
There is no animal that cannot be tracked.
Source: Attributed in various works and referenced in popular culture (e.g., cited in a Japanese manga issue)
Trivia
- On his 21st birthday his father presented him with an itemized bill for his upbringing; the incident led to estrangement.
- Born Ernest Evan Thompson, he later changed his name to Ernest Thompson Seton.
- Founded the Woodcraft Indians in 1902, a formative influence on youth outdoor education.
- The story "Lobo the King of Currumpaw" became one of his best-known tales and has been retold in documentaries.
- His illustrative diagrams inspired Roger Tory Peterson's ideas for field guides.
- Seton Castle burned during renovation in 2005; many items had been removed and preserved beforehand.