Mayoruna (Panoan) Kinship

Abstract

The Mayoruna number approximately 900 persons and have for many years occupied both sides of the upper reaches of the Yavari river, the present-day border between Brazil and Peru. Linguistically, Mayoruna is a member of the Panoan family of languages. Chirif and Mora (I977:I60) calculate that only 3 per cent of the population is bilingual in Spanish. The Mayoruna are seminomadic, with subsistence agriculture as their most important economic activity, although the male population devotes much time to hunting and fishing. The bow and arrow, spear, and shotgun are utilized in the hunt; the blowgun was also used in the recent past. Maize, cassava, and bananas are traded locally in small quantities for salt, medicines, cloth, domestic utensils, tools, shotguns, and ammunition. This description of Mayoruna kinship is the first known to us. It is of particular importance in that heavy reliance upon the forceful capture of women as spouses will be drastically (if not completely) curtailed from now on. The new situation may well begin to place unusual stress on the society if it limits the number of females available for marriage to those native to it and, more specifically, to those of a particular kinship category (aiz. cross-cousins). The reduction of conflict between opposing jungle groups may further aggravate the problem by the reduction of male casualties to conflict, resulting in a larger number of males seeking spouses from among a more restricted supply. As a report of the situation, this description should alert US tO help the Mayoruna find solutions which are more acceptable in the world into which they are irresistably being drawn. Mayoruna is a kinship based society in which all members are considered kinsmen and in which kinship relationships between individuals are of primary importance for social interaction. When a Mayoruna enters a situation in which his kinship relationships tO other individuals with whom he must interact are unclear, the first order of business is tO clarify those relationships. Either an individual present

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