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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 15 



sion is a severe test in itself and any infractions 

 are punished by withholding food and in more 

 complete isolation. After the puberty rites, 

 improper conduct such as disobedience in carrying 

 out tasks or by failure to show proper respect to 

 relatives and elders is punishable by scarification. 

 Refusal to undergo scarification as a form of 

 punishment may lead to exile, the most severe 

 form of punishment the Camayura impose. 

 Seclusion, even after a boy or girl has completed 

 his or her allotted time at puberty, can also be 

 resorted to as a form of punishment. Nilo, while 

 at the Expedition camp, broke into a house with 

 a few other boys and took a few blocks of "rapa- 

 dura." The camp head complained to Tamapii, 

 Nilo's father, who, when Nilo returned to the 

 village, put his son in seclusion for about 2 weeks. 

 The idea behind this form of additional seclusion 

 is that the youth had not yet learned to behave 

 as a grown-up and had to be treated as a boy 

 at puberty. 



After puberty the father continues to exercise 

 great authority over his sons. They cannot 

 marry or leave the village without his consent 

 and must return home after a given length of 

 time. Young men fear the anger of their fathers 

 and try not to break the rules of proper conduct. 

 One day the writer asked two young men to paint 

 themselves in the designs used in the various 

 ceremonies so that they could be photographed 

 in color. The young men kept putting off answer- 

 ing the request. When presents were offered they 

 explained that their fathers would not allow them 

 to paint themselves in these colors which were 

 used only at the time of the ceremonies. They 

 agreed, however, to paint themselves in the woods. 

 Later in the afternoon they stole some of their 

 fathers' urucu paint and piqui oil, painted them- 

 selves, and were duly photographed in the woods 

 after which they removed the paint by washing 

 in the river. 



Although daughters are in more intimate daily 

 contact with their mother and follow her instruc- 

 tions, they, too, are under the authority of the 

 father. He can punish them by scarification or 

 seclusion for misbehavior or, as has been men- 

 tioned in the status of chiefs, they can be refused 

 the symbols of rank. 



The relationship between brothers is one of 

 great intimacy, resting as it does on daily coopera- 



tion in economic activities, mutual aid in cases of 

 disputes with nonfamily members, and the fact 

 that they are responsible for the upbringing of 

 each other's children in case of necessity. At 

 death the wife and children of a man pass to the 

 care of his brother. Brothers, when young, are 

 seen continually together, playing and imitating 

 the activities of their elders. When mature they 

 wrestle with one another, joke, and play tricks 

 without any show of respect. 



The relationship between sisters is similarly 

 based on cooperation and is close and intimate. 

 They may become cowives and may bring up each 

 other's children. A brother is responsible for his 

 dead brother's wife and children but if no brother 

 exists, the widow will go to the house of her sister. 

 If the mother is dead the younger sister may live 

 permanently with her married sister, as was the 

 case of Tipuri and her 10-year-old sister, as a 

 sister is a much closer relative than a stepmother. 

 This is also true of boys before the age of puberty. 

 No special respect was observed between sisters 

 and brothers. While Nilo was in seclusion his 

 younger sister spent much of ber time behind the 

 screen preparing his food and talking to him. 



The relationship in the family between parents 

 and children, brothers and sisters, is one of 

 intimacy. The father has unquestionable author- 

 ity over the entire family. Until the children are 

 about 8 years old the father plays with them and 

 appears to be very indulgent. This attitude, how- 

 ever, changes at puberty. The attitude of respect 

 for the father was quite noticeable in mature indi- 

 viduals. They spoke little with their fathers and 

 listened with downcast eyes when the father spoke 

 to them. While young children sat in the father's 

 hammock older sons and daughters avoided their 

 father's hammock. This respect is extended to 

 the father's brothers. If a young man or woman 

 behaves rudely toward his or her father's brothers 

 the father might punish the offender with scari- 

 fication. Mother's brothers, however, appear to 

 have no authority over their nephews or nieces 

 and no special respect is paid to them. The 

 mother's sister is treated like a mother. The 

 father's sister is treated with the respect due an 

 older woman. The attitude toward cross aunts 

 and uncles, of course, changes if they become 

 in-laws. 



