Yes, the early encounters with Eskimo occurred much later than many of the encounters with more southern native Americans. So anthropology, etc, was mostly a thing by the time the more isolated tribes were encountered.

That's why we have such good records of the Eskimo. Also, the explorers that encountered them were not interested in the land, and didn't want to exterminate them. And whalers mostly just wanted to cooperate with them - particularly to get fresh meat, which they needed to avoid scurvy.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson had actually studied Anthropology at Harvard, if I remember right.

I very vaguely recall reading something about the popularity of coffee in the British Empire being correlated with great advancements in science and general cultural development. I wish I could remember where from.