WHOLE VOL. ARAUCANIAN CHILD LIFE — HILGER 35 



a Chilean orphanage. Quoting a non-Araucanian : "Nearly every 

 family has a child or two that is being reared by it, and that is not a 

 member of the family. The love with which these children are reared 

 is astounding. As a rule, the grandparents, or any relative that has a 

 genuine love for the child, rears it. If a relative wants a child merely 

 to help with work, there will be quarreling in the relationship. Among 

 the Mapuche anything pertaining to a child touches the heart." The 

 adopted child will call someone in the home father and mother. An 

 Alepue boy called the grandfather who had adopted him "papa" ; his 

 own father "my brother." The child retains its own name. It in- 

 herits from its own parents and usually has the same rights as do 

 other children in the home of its adoption. "My mother said that my 

 daughter will not inherit any land from her, but she will help her 

 accumulate animals ; she has already given her a pair of oxen and a 

 cow; and recently she gave her another cow." Another instance re- 

 garding inheritance was related: A man died, and his wife then 

 deserted their four children. The children were adopted into two 

 families. As adults they each inherited land as did the other children 

 in the two homes into which they had been adopted. 



It is still customary for the first grandchild, especially if it is a boy, 

 to be adopted by grandparents, usually the paternal grandparents. This 

 is because a young couple lives in the man's home for a year or longer 

 after their marriage, and the boy is left in that home when his parents 

 leave it to set up their own ruka. Such children inherit, as do the 

 child's father and the father's sisters and brothers. 



Reasons for adopting a child may be sheer love for a particular 

 child or for children in general, a desire to have a companion, a wish 

 to remove the stigma attached to a childless couple, or a need for 

 someone to help with the work. 



There was no adoption procedure or ceremony. An informant was 

 annoyed when asked if an authority had to be consulted regarding 

 adoptions and a record made of it : "That is our child ; certainly we 

 have the right to give it to a relative if we want to. Who has a right 

 over our child but we, its parents ! I never heard of any Mapuche 

 doing anything about any adoption, except to let the child go." 



Servants, if defined as persons who work for hire, did not exist in 

 the early days. Second and third wives rendered all services required. 

 There are no women servants in Araucanian homes today ; an occa- 

 sional bachelor hires out to a family and is compensated with board 

 and a small amount of cash. 



Slavery was not institutional. However, informants had heard old 

 people say that non-Araucanian captives held as hostages in the early 

 days, when not redeemed, were assigned to work without pay. 



