NOMADS OF THE LONG BOW — HOLMBERG 



73 



the quill feathers of the hawk around their necks. 

 The women were also wearing necklaces containing 

 the depilated hair of the infants. Several small, 

 loosely woven baskets were made by the mother, 

 and these were filled with ashes. 



AtSa.m. the party left for the bush on a trail lead- 

 ing out from the east side of the house. The father 

 of the twins and his two wives were accompanied 

 by one of his nephews, who led the party with a 

 basket of ashes which he strewed along the trail. 

 The two women followed behind and also scattered 

 ashes. The mother likewise carried a calabash of 

 water, but she did not sprinkle this along the way. 

 The father brought up the rear of the party, carry- 

 ing nothing but his bow and two arrows. Not a 

 word was said as the party proceeded along the 

 way. 



After walking about 10 minutes, when there 

 were no more ashes left in the baskets, the party 

 made a halt. The mother sat down and placed 

 the two children in her lap. The father left, 

 shortly returning with a green leaf of the motacu 

 palm from which the mother then began to weave 

 a carrying basket. The father and his nephew 

 went off in quest of firewood, soon returning. 

 The firewood was put in the basket, which was 

 placed on the father's back, and the party set out 

 for the house. Just before arriving, however, a 

 small stick was stuck into the ground, and the 

 empty baskets, which had contained the ashes, 

 were hung on it. The party then returned to the 

 hut. Here a new fire was kindled, and the mother 

 gave the twins a bath from the calabash of water 

 which she had been carrying. The father shortly 

 left the house again and brought back a ripe leaf 

 of the motacu palm, from which the mother wove 

 a basket. When this was completed, she placed 

 in it all the remains from the birth which had been 

 lying in the hole in the ground at the head of the 

 hammock, leaving the basket standing under the 

 hammock. She then went about her regular 

 household duties, and the father went out on 

 the hunt. The. period of couvade was officially 

 over. 



The feather ornaments which are glued into the 

 hair after the birth of a child are worn for about a 

 month afterward. In the case of the above- 

 mentioned twins, the feathers were not cut out of 

 the parents' hair until February 24. The after- 

 birth, moreover, was left standing in the basket 

 underneath the hammock for 16 days before it was 



taken by the mother deep into the bush and thrown 

 away. 



PATERNITY 



Only in one birth which I observed was there 

 any question of the paternity involved or a reluc- 

 tance on the part of a woman's husband to accept 

 her child as his. Of course, considering the sexual 

 freedom allowed by the Siriono, the true paternity 

 of a child would be difficult to determine, but, as 

 far as the group is concerned, it is only the social 

 role of the father that is important. In the case 

 referred to, one of the wives of E6ko (Tall-one) 

 came into labor early one morning. E6ko left for 

 the hunt before the infant was born but knew that 

 his wife was in labor. She gave birth to a girl 

 about 8 a. m. I was present at the birth and spent 

 the day observing postnatal events, and, like the 

 mother, waiting for E6ko to return and to cut the 

 cord. We waited patiently until about 5 p. m., 

 but E6ko had not yet returned. As a somewhat 

 partial observer at this stage, I became concerned 

 that the infant might die from an infection of the 

 cord and placenta, which had been exposed to the 

 flies the entire day, but upon making the sugges- 

 tion that the cord should be cut, I was told by the 

 mother and other informants that it was necessary 

 to await the arrival of E6ko. Finally he returned, 

 in company with other hunters, just as the sun 

 was going down. He had shot a few ke N (capuchin 

 monkeys) which he threw down by the hammock 

 of his first wife, paying no attention, however, to 

 the mother and the newborn infant. In fact, he 

 cast not so much as a glance in their direction. 



Meanwhile, the mother took out a piece of 

 bamboo and sat patiently on the ground waiting 

 for E6ko to cut the cord. Instead of so doing, 

 he lay down in his hammock and ordered his first 

 wife to extract the thorns from his hands and feet. 

 This operation took approximately half an hour, 

 by which time it was fairly obvious to all present 

 that E6ko had no intention of cutting the cord. 

 Women began to gather. Seaci, who was Eoko's 

 niece, came up to me and said softly: "You speak 

 to E6ko ; tell him to cut the cord." I replied : "No, 

 you speak to him." She was afraid to do so. 

 Then one of E6ko's relatives remarked that E6ko 

 claimed the child was not his, that he had "di- 

 vorced" this woman some time before. Following 

 this declaration, one of the mother's female rela- 

 tives came forward and publicly demanded that 



