Gender, work and value among the Inuit in 18th century Labrador

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to explore the activities and agency of Inuit women during the dramatic cultural, economic and social changes that occurred in 18th century Labrador. During this period, the Inuit adopted large, rectangular communal houses, which were capable of accommodating several families. The cause of this change in household architecture is multifaceted and as a result the gender arrangements among 18th century Inuit underwent a similar shift. By carefully reviewing Inuit ethnographic analogies, the accounts of the 18th century Moravian Missionaries and archaeological remains of four communal houses from strategic sites across Labrador, I aim to identify the different ways each house was being used based on site-specific factors such as location, local environment and the distribution of gendered artifacts. This theory-driven research incorporates the Inuit perception of selfhood, which can be considered a flexible and ongoing process through the value of labour, in order to determine the changes in men and women’s activities at Ikkusik (IdCr-02), Eskimo Island-1 (GaBp-01), Adlavik (GgBq-01) and Huntingdon Island-5 (FkBg-03). In particular, this research contributes to ongoing investigations into the nature of 18th century Inuit settlements in southern Labrador by examining the economic priorities of regionally disparate households.