Inuit Women Their Powerful Spirit in a Century of Change

by Billson, Janet Mancini; Mancini, Kyra

ISBN13: 9780742535978

ISBN10: 0742535975

Format: Paperback

Pub. Date: 2007-04-09

Publisher(s): Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

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Summary

Inuit Women is the definitive study of the Inuit during a time of rapid change. Written shortly after the creation of Nunavut, a new province carved out of traditional Inuit homelands in the Canadian North, this compelling book combines conclusions drawn from the authors' fourteen years of ethnographic research with the stories of Inuit women and men, told in their own words. Inuit Women also explores global issues the impact of rapid social change and Canadian resettlement policy on Inuit culture; women's roles in society; and gender relations in Baffin Island, in the Eastern Arctic. Billson and Mancini also include an extensive section on how the newly created territory of Nunavut is impacting the lives of Inuit women and their families. This book stands alone in its attention to Inuit women's issues and lives and should be read by everyone interested in gender relations, development, modernization, globalization, and Inuit culture.

Author Biography

Janet Mancini Billson, Ph.D., is director of Group Dimensions International in Woolwich, Maine, and adjunct professor of sociology at The George Washington University Kyra Mancini, senior research analyst for Group Dimensions International, is a nurse at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine

Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgments	p. xxv
Introduction	p. 1
"The People"	p. 3
Lessons from Knud Rasmussen
From the Late Traditional Period to Resettlement
From the Transitional Period to Nunavut
Nunavut in Canada
A Case Study of Pangnirtung
Nunavut
The Collision of Cultures
The Late Traditional Period
The Resettlement Period
Population Shift from the Land to Pangnirtung
Population Shift from the Land to Pangnirtung and Clyde River, 1966
Life Out on the Land	p. 27
Traditional Roles: Gender and Survival	p. 29
Jagging for Fish
A Nomadic Life
The Gender Calculus
Gender Roles in the Whaling Period
The Annual Cycle of Hunting, Fishing, and Gathering
The Annual Cycle of Processing, Sewing, and Other Female Productivity
Crossing Role Boundaries
Traditional Power: A Delicate Balance	p. 51
The Woman of the Waves
Definitions of Male and Female
Traditional Power Relations
Orchestrating the Family Structure
Spousal Exchange and Adoption Decisions
Female Infanticide
Arranged Marriages
Respect for Parental Authority
Traditional Socialization: Learning by Doing	p. 77
Teachers on Land and Sea
Preference for the Male Child
The Ideal Woman, the Ideal Man
A Natural Discipline Out on the Land
Names and Naming
Metamorphosis	p. 91
The Bad Times: Starvation Stalked the Land	p. 93
The River
Hunger and Death
The Dislocations of Leaving the Land for Education and Social Services
The Tuberculosis Epidemic and Other Diseases
Inuit Death Rates, 1945, per 100,000
Inuit TB Mortality Rates, 1950-1960
Inuit TB Rates, 1961-1990
Culture Shock
Town Growth
Race Relations
Transforming Traditional Culture	p. 121
Matters of the Spirit
Religion
Education, Southern Style
The Lure of Television
Language
Living on the Edge	p. 139
Culture Shock and Marginality	p. 141
The Peninsula
Caught between Two Worlds
Cultural and Structural Marginality
Cultural Marginality
Structural Marginality
The Challenges of Marginality
The Impacts of Resettlement	p. 153
People from the Outpost Camp
Far-Reaching Social Repercussions
The Shape of the Population
Fertility Rates
Infant and Maternal Mortality
Most Pressing Issues
The Interplay of Issues
Major Problems Facing Younger Women
The Products of Anger, Worry, and Low Self-Esteem
An Array of "Family Problems"
The Sources of Anger
Solutions to the Most Pressing Problems
Creating New Mechanisms for New Problems
The Spousal Assault Committee
The Mental Health Committee
Families Redefined	p. 177
Suicide and the Cry for Help
Daycare
Guiding Their Children
The Seductions of Alcohol and Drugs
Alcohol
Drugs and Solvents
Drug Use in Nunavut, Western NWT, and Canada
Suicide
Rates
Suicide Rates per 100,000 for Inuit, Indians, and Canada
Struggling to Understand "Why?"
Female Attempts
When Suicide Hits Home
Life in Town: The Changing Balance of Power	p. 203
Contemporary Roles: The Female Advantage	p. 205
Visiting
Role Expansion and Role Reversal
The Impacts of Role Reversal
Women as Hunters
Contemporary Power: A Reversal of Position	p. 217
In the Wilderness
Balancing Act
Power Differentials
The Generational Lag
Communication and Emotions
Intimacy, Affection, and Sexuality
Contemporary Socialization: Passing on the Culture	p. 231
Needles and Dreams
A Preference for the Male Child
The Ideal Woman, the Ideal Man
Ulus and Harpoons
Cultural Inclusion
Cooking and Country Food
Sewing, Embroidering, and Weaving
Sewing
Embroidery
Drawing, Printmaking, and Carving
Pangnirtung Tapestry Studio
Dancing and Singing
The Bonds of Intimacy	p. 255
Love and Living Together	p. 257
Qatsuq 's Daughter
The Reluctant Brides
Living in Common Law
The Stigma of Remaining Single
Customary Adoption
Marriage and Divorce	p. 275
Like Moths to a Candle
Divorce
The Legacy of Guilt
Infidelity, Jealousy, and Divorce
The Stigma of Divorce
Traditional Ways to Resolve Conflict
The Challenges of Change	p. 285
Violence against Women and Children: The Complexities of Power	p. 287
Coming of Age in the Midnight Sun
The Traditional Patterns
The Contemporary Patterns
Rates of Spousal Assault
Causes of Spousal Assault
Loss of Balance in the Settlements
The Male Physical Advantage
Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Disagreement and Jealousy
Lack of Communication
Children as Victims
The Complexities of Reporting and Intervention
Shelters and Safe Houses
The Criminal Justice System
A New Century Emerges	p. 313
The Promise and Price of Education	p. 315
The Carvers: A Certain State of Mind
The Gender Gap
Attitudes toward School
Entrance into Higher Education
The Meaning of Work	p. 335
The Whale Hunters
Welfare: A Double-Edged Sword
A Staggering Unemployment Rate
White Collar, Services, and the Arts
Entering the RCMP
Women as Providers
The Road to Equality	p. 349
Women's Rights and Political Participation	p. 351
The Kitaq: More Than a Room of Her Own
The Constitutional Clause
Violence and Women's Liberation
Women's Involvement in Community Politics
Women in Territorial Politics
Gender Parity
The First Nunavut Legislative Election
Other Political Routes
Women's Involvement in National Politics
Pauktuutit
Dreams for Their Daughters
Nunavut: Defining a New Political Identity	p. 371
Capitalism, Northern Style
The Nunavut Dream
Devolution
The Nunavut Settlement Area Final Agreement
Significant Land Claims Agreements
Preparing for Implementation
Anticipated Benefits of Nunavut
Anticipated Challenges
A Conceptual Framework for Change
The Overriding Power of Gender Relations
Conflict-Functional Analysis
Social Impact/Social Vitality Analysis
Marginality and Marginalization
Toward the Future
In the Elder's Room
References	p. 403
Index	p. 445
About the Authors	p. 461
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