Olson’s Classic Quinault

This is not really a book one likes, per se, so the 3 stars reflect that I learned a lot while reading it, and am grateful for that. It came recommended by the curator of the Quinault Cultural Center and Museum because it is a (the only?) comprehensive Quinault ethnography, and much of the book is direct quotes from the Quinault members interviewed for the project. In that sense, the book is invaluable. The stuff I could do without is Olson's 1936 worldview, frankly. It shows up in everything from remarks on Quinault work ethic because there were times that, once subsistence needs for the year were met and surpassed, people didn't always continue to work (Hah! Imagine that!), and some comments that didn't even hold water within the text itself: like saying that Quinault language didn't have words for a calendar, when in fact it had two sets that Olson then describes, one based on a year starting in the fall and going roughly by the lunar cycle, and another that was anchored by seasonal changes. So, no, there wasn't a 12-month calendar, but there were two others I imagine worked quite well! None of that is surprising, and I know there is utility in seeing such a clear example of bias that is often implicit but still insidious. I am grateful to the Quinault members who shared their lives and experiences in this format, and am sure I will return to their words as a reference.