The transformative work that arose out of archaeologists’ recognition of the importance of (binary) gender in their research beginning in the 1990s, and the growing move toward multivocality and decolonization, point to the importance of considering nonbinary gender in the archaeological record. In this book, Meghan Walley takes a first step toward this goal, focusing on Inuit archaeology in the eastern Canadian Arctic. This is a major undertaking, and Walley is careful to make it clear that there is much work to do. Her goal is “to lay the groundwork for archaeologists to approach gender in ways that are more culturally and regionally nuanced and to advocate for research that is based in Inuit needs, desires, and perspectives” (p. 3). To that end, in addition to studying archaeological collections, she conducted interviews with Inuit self-identified LGBTQ2S+ individuals.
Walley advocates for a view of the past that embraces and celebrates the complex, complicated, messy lived experience of Inuit past and present. She does so through a queer and decolonizing lens and is careful to identify, if not necessarily resolve, many issues surrounding this work. This is difficult work, and she makes it clear that she sees her research as a very early foray into this endeavor. Ultimately, she is a strong advocate for undertaking this task, although her attempts to work with the archaeological record disappoint.
Following a brief introduction, the book is divided into nine chapters. Chapter 1 includes a brief overview of concepts of sex and gender as they have developed in anthropology and archaeology, and an even briefer introduction to studies of gender in precontact Inuit society, with an emphasis on avoiding the pitfalls of naturalizing assumptions of “normal” (i.e., Western) views of gender.
Chapter 2 expands on the discussion of gender in Inuit society, focusing on the evidence for nonbinary genders. Walley begins with a summary and critique of the work of Saladin d'Anglure, arguing that the “third sex” intermediate between binary male and female that he identified in Inuit culture does not adequately encompass the fluidity in Inuit understanding of gender. She presents a range of examples, from the complex role of the shaman to the practical blurring of gendered tasks necessitated by everyday needs. Quotes from informants and published sources emphasize the fluidity of tool use (inevitably used by archaeologists to code for gender) and activity areas, acknowledging that for Inuit, tools do have strong binary gendered associations.
Having laid the groundwork regarding gender fluidity in Inuit society, Chapters 3 and 4 turn to the theoretical underpinnings of the study, touching on queer theory, gender theory, and postcolonial theory and the movement to decolonize archaeology. Here, Walley briefly summarizes the rise of queer theory and acknowledges both its strengths and weaknesses in the context of this study, emphasizing its potential to offer an important critique of Western settler-colonial interpretations. Walley is careful to examine the tensions between this theoretical perspective, rooted in white settler LGBTQ2S+ movements, her own positionality, and that of the LGBTQ2S+ individuals she interviewed.
Chapters 5 and 6 focus on interviews with LGBTQ2S+ individuals, highlighting their varied perspectives as they work to find a place for themselves in contemporary Inuit society and contemplate ways in which precontact culture might have been different, reflecting on topics ranging from the role of Christianity to the use of the First Nations term “Two-Spirit” among Inuit. There is also a refreshingly honest discussion of the ups and downs and evolving focus of the research.
Chapters 7 and 8 focus on the archaeological aspects of the study. Walley makes it clear that she is not attempting to develop a model for identifying gender fluidity in the archaeological record, but the superficial engagement with the archaeological record leaves one wondering why she felt it necessary to include any discussion of specific sites at all.
Walley examined material from three large precontact winter sites: Qariaraqyuk (PaJs-2) on southeastern Somerset Island, Brooman Point (QiLd-1) on Bathurst Island, and Skraeling Island (SfFk-4) on the Bache Peninsula of Ellesmere Island—all in Nunavut, Canada. The study focuses on objects where expressions of gender might be expected, such as human figurines, items associated with shamanism, and decorated objects. The sites are briefly described, but no map is included to indicate their geographic relationship to one another, and there are no maps of the sites themselves. Even more surprisingly, there are no illustrations of the artifacts examined. This is a frustrating omission that significantly hampers the discussions. As one example, Walley notes that catalog records often assign gender to figures, although Inuit figurines and dolls often have no discernible markers of biological sex. This point is very intriguing, but without illustrations of the figurines and their catalog descriptions, it is difficult to evaluate. Later, she discusses the potential of objects engraved with designs that evoke women's tattoos for exploring issues of gender without mentioning what sorts of objects these designs typically appear on, or that such decorated objects (combs, for example) are found in the collections she studied.
This book will be of interest to archaeologists seeking to enrich their understanding of past cultures with a more nuanced view of gender, but unless they specialize in Inuit archaeology, they will find it challenging. Walley presents a strong argument for the importance of incorporating a consideration of nonbinary gender into Inuit archaeology, and of doing so with the full collaboration of community members, while making it clear that there remains much to be done and many hurdles to overcome. Ultimately, it is the interviews with LGBTQ2S+ individuals that are the most valuable—a useful model for future work. The discussion of the archaeological record is regrettably superficial and opaque to anyone not already familiar with Inuit archaeology.
