Gender in Inuit Society

According to early explorers, settlers, etc. women were believed to be totally dominated by men, similar to the assumptions made by settlers in "The Squaw Drudge". Further investigations show that in many Inuit societies, men and women were considered equal. Men and women had specific duties they performed. Men hunted, built kayaks, tools, hauled materials; women cooked, cleaned, raised children, and processed skins. Men and women could perform each others duties with skill if necessary and mens roles were not considered to be more important than womens' roles. Each were equally important. It does sound as though women and men had very specific roles within their community. Older women were highly respected and did not answer to men at all. I wonder if this was true of older men as well. It seems like divorce among husband and wife in Inuit society was not a big deal. If you had someplace to go, then you could move out. There didn't seem to be any formal or legal action that had to be taken by either man or woman.