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INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 15 



the trees and undergrowth, or when their mothers 

 go to dig up manioc roots and carry them to the 

 village. Boys and girls also participate in secular 

 dances, taking their places at the end of a line of 

 dancers, imitating the adults to the best of their 

 ability. 



No sexual intimacies were observed between 

 boys and girls. When asked about this matter 

 the adults said children were too young for sex 

 and that when they began to take interest in sex 

 they were put into puberty seclusion. This state- 

 ment is supported by the request which Tamapu 

 made to the members of the Expedition when he 

 left Nilo at the camp — that on no account could 

 he have any relations with women. Actually girls 

 and boys have little opportunity for secret meet- 

 ings. When girls go to fetch water they go in 

 groups accompanied by older women. In the 

 village, girls are under the supervision of their 

 mothers and other older persons. Children are 

 warned specifically not to wander from the village 

 bacause of the danger of being captured by enemy 

 bands, and children speak with fear about the 

 Shukaramai and the Suya. 



Although prevented from having sexual rela- 

 tions with girls, boys are not reprimanded against 

 playing with their genitals, and such activities are 

 looked upon with tolerant amusement by adults. 

 When asked about onanism, boys would grin and 

 snicker, talk among themselves, but would not 

 give any straightforward answer. 



While questioning grown-ups about sex matters 

 and the names of sexual parts, men and women 

 would discuss the subject freely in the presence of 

 children. In other words, children seemed to 

 know everything about sex, and no attempt was 

 made to hide even the sexual act. 



The freedom and ease which characterized the 

 relations between grown-ups and children at no 

 time affected the obedience and respect of the 

 children toward their elders. Mothers particu- 

 larly were seen to slap boys and girls if they shirked 

 their duties. The respect of children toward men 

 was particularly marked. On one occasion while 

 we were taking a stroll on the airfield at sunset, 

 followed as usual by a group of boys, one of them 

 began mimicking the gait of a very stout Brazilian 

 Air Force officer who had visited the camp some 

 days previously. One of the men said the officer 



in question was Fernando 's father, which of 

 course was not true, but immediately the boys 

 stopped, turned around, and went back to camp, 

 and even the next day they appeared shy and 

 uncertain of our reaction. 



Of all the children observed in Jacarei Camp, 

 those of the Waura appeared to be the most 

 energetic. When a group of Waura boys entered 

 the main building they would first ask for some 

 sugar, then they would examine anything new, 

 even to examining one's pockets. Then they would 

 look through magazines and newspapers. After 

 everything in the house had exhausted their inter- 

 est, they would stand around stamping out a dance 

 rhythm with their right foot. Suddenly they 

 would form a line and go dashing around the 

 central table, stamping out a furious dance step. 

 This would continue until they were told to go 

 outside and play. 



At no time were children observed quarreling 

 or fighting, even when children of other tribes 

 were present at camp. If one child injured 

 another accidently he might be punished if the 

 injury was due to carelessness. It was remarkable 

 how few accidents took place among boys who 

 played with bows and arrows all day. Only once 

 did the writer see a boy shoot another accidentally. 

 In this case the boy was punished, for he used a 

 sharp-pointed arrow which struck the other in the 

 foot. Lack of accidents is no doubt due to the 

 fact that boys use the whistling arrows, which 

 not only give a warning but have a round tucum 

 nut shell at the point. 



At the age of 8 or 9 the chief pierces the ear 

 lobes of the bo3 T s. This is done with a fang of 

 the dogfish, and the act of piercing the ears is 

 known as hakutuk. After the ear-piercing act 

 the parents of the boys give a ceremony during 

 which food is passed out among the guests and 

 the okutuk dance is performed. The boys now 

 receive a new name which is used \>y everyone. 

 Generally a number of boys go through the cere- 

 mony together. Small wooden plugs are kept in 

 the bole until they heal, after which feather 

 pendants can be worn. Boys and even young 

 men like to w«ar empty 22-caliber rifle shells in 

 their ears. No similar ceremony is performed 

 over girls. 



