▁His ▁father ▁was ▁the ▁local ▁teacher . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁lived ▁among ▁the ▁Ch ero kee ▁Indians ▁in ▁Oklahoma ▁for ▁a ▁year , ▁which ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁study ▁eth n ography ▁at ▁Harvard ▁University ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁Return ed ▁to ▁Den mark , ▁he ▁lect ured ▁on ▁Native ▁Americans ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁their ▁former ▁way ▁of ▁living , ▁and ▁began ▁his ▁studies ▁under ▁Hans ▁P eder ▁Ste ens by , ▁eth n ograph er ▁and ▁professor ▁of ▁ge ography ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁C open hagen . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁he ▁married ▁the ▁painter ▁and ▁eth n ograph er ▁Emil ie ▁Dem ant , ▁who ▁had ▁developed ▁a ▁keen ▁interest ▁in ▁Sam i ▁people . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁he ▁began ▁doctor al ▁studies ▁of ▁Ar ctic ▁people , ▁including ▁an ▁eth n ographic ▁study ▁of ▁Lap land . ▁For ▁two ▁years , ▁between ▁ 1 9 1 2 - 1 9 1 4 , ▁H att ▁and ▁Dem ant ▁visited ▁northern ▁Sweden ▁several ▁times , ▁collect ing ▁eth n ographic ▁materials ▁for ▁the ▁National ▁Museum ▁of ▁Den mark . ▁This ▁research ▁formed ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁his ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁doctor al ▁th esis , ▁Ar ctic ▁skin ▁cl othing ▁in ▁E uras ia ▁and ▁America ▁when ▁he ▁noticed ▁the ▁cut ▁in ▁the ▁cl othing ▁of ▁Ar ctic ▁pe op les ▁was