GILBEBTSON: ESKIMO CULTURE 81 



&quot;The women appear to stand on a footing of perfect equality with the 

 men both in the family and in the community. The wife is the constant 

 and trusted companion of the man in everything except the hunt, and her 

 opinion is sought in every bargain or other important undertaking.&quot; 

 (See also 46, 1:449; 4: 387, 391; 32: 119; 50: 64.) 



Nansen affirms that, if 



&quot;the social position occupied by its women affords the best criterion of a 

 people s place in the scale of civilization [a view which he does not ac 

 cept; cf. 71, 1: 646] the Eskimo must be allowed to have reached a pretty 

 high level of development. For the Eskimo woman plays no insignificant a 

 part in the life of the community.&quot; (43: 121; see also 133.) 



The facts of the division of labor between the sexes shed 

 light on this problem, and merit some consideration. Writers 

 to speak of women s life as &quot;slavery&quot; use that term primarily, 

 I think, as synonomous with drudgery, although inferiority 

 and subjection may also be implied. Now no one denies that 

 the Eskimo woman has a hard task to perform. But are the 

 men idlers? The principle of division of labor is fundamental 

 to an understanding of Eskimo social and economic life. As 

 Nansen puts it, &quot;The employments of the sexes are entirely 

 distinct,&quot; and he goes on to say: 



&quot;The Eskimo have not yet attained to the conception that there is little 

 or no difference between the men and women. They hold that there are, 

 among other things, certain essential physical differences.&quot; (43: 122.) 



For an excellent detailed treatment of this subject we refer 

 to this author s chapter on &quot;The Position and Work of 

 Women.&quot; Without going into detail here, we quote the fol 

 lowing from Nansen, which is typical of the Eskimo every 

 where : 



&quot;To the man s share falls the laborious life at sea, as hunter and food- 

 provider; but when he reaches the shore with his booty, he has fulfilled 

 the most important part of his social function. He is received by his 

 womenfolk, who help him ashore; and while he has nothing to do but to 

 look after his kayak and his weapons, it is the part of the women to drag 

 the booty up to the house. The women flay the seal and cut it up accord 

 ing to fixed rules, and the mother of the house presides at the division of 

 it. Further, it is the women s duty to cook the food, to prepare the skins, 

 to cover the kayaks and woman-boats, to make clothes, and to attend to all 

 other domestic tasks. In addition to this they build the houses, pitch the 

 tents, and row the woman-boats.&quot; (43: 123; cf. 26: 178; 30: 88; 19: 62; 

 16. 1: 154.) 



