Freeman and the abuse of authority

Abstract

Victor King has written a 'case study' about an alleged attempt by Derek Freeman to claim authority over anthropological research among the Iban of Sarawak to the eventual detriment of the study of Iban textiles. This article examines the evidence King marshals to prosecute his case and considers his views about evolutionary explanations and the logical coherence of the conceptualization by Iban women of their textile art.