While wikipedia isn't always the most accurate source, this does tell a bit about the criticisms and gives some additional references:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanook_of_the_North

The entire film isn't staged or totally false - many of the activities are very much authentic - however its as much scripted as it is documentary.

: Saying that "Nanook of the North" is "staged" and that
: "the entire film is
: inaccurate" seems like a pretty big brush too.

At one point the entire film was there, but it may no longer be available in its entirety for copyright reasons?

I didn't mean to imply that it is completely false, just trying to point out that even though it is considered a documentary it is somewhat deceptive in what is presented and shouldn't be taken as completely factual.

: The "clip" available on YouTube only a small part of the film. Are
: you saying that these are Hollywood actors pretending to be Inuit? Is it
: "staged" because
: the people are responding to the camera? Sure, the bit with the people coming
: out of the kayak is a lot like the endless clowns coming out of the midgit
: car at the circus. But who is to say it can't happen.

The only other film that I am aware of that portrays Inuit life is the "Netsilik series" which is considerable more recent than Nanook of the North:

http://www.der.org/films/netsilik.html

But it too is criticized as being staged, although accurate:

http://www.qajaqusa.org/cgi-bin/GreenlandTechniqueForum_config.pl?review=63898

: This movie is more than I've seen eleswhere. If you have better more
: authentic
: movie footage please let us know what it is.

BTW, I got the chance to paddle an example of your Panache this past summer. Nice design.