﻿456 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  ences 
  in 
  the 
  size 
  of 
  landholdings, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  basis 
  for 
  social 
  and 
  eco- 
  

   nomic 
  stratification. 
  No 
  conflict 
  has 
  as 
  yet 
  developed 
  between 
  the 
  

   small 
  and 
  more 
  prosperous 
  landowners 
  of 
  the 
  community. 
  

  

  These 
  differences 
  in 
  landholdings 
  have 
  been 
  caused 
  by 
  (1) 
  the 
  in- 
  

   crease 
  in 
  population 
  (see 
  section 
  on 
  economics, 
  p. 
  426), 
  and 
  (2) 
  the 
  

   accidents 
  of 
  inheritance, 
  which 
  have 
  amassed 
  considerable 
  land- 
  

   holdings 
  in 
  the 
  hauds 
  of 
  one 
  or 
  another 
  family. 
  

  

  Theoretically, 
  the 
  rules 
  of 
  inheritance 
  followed 
  by 
  the 
  Quechua 
  are 
  

   defined 
  by 
  Peruvian 
  law 
  based 
  on 
  modern 
  Western 
  codes. 
  The 
  off- 
  

   spring 
  can 
  inherit 
  from 
  their 
  parents 
  in 
  accordance 
  with 
  the 
  will 
  and 
  

   decision 
  of 
  the 
  latter. 
  Women 
  have 
  equal 
  rights 
  to 
  inherit 
  with 
  men. 
  

   In 
  practice, 
  the 
  rules 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  simple. 
  The 
  Quechua 
  principle 
  that 
  

   each 
  offspring 
  should 
  inherit 
  equally 
  is 
  first 
  modified 
  by 
  the 
  preroga- 
  

   tives 
  of 
  the 
  chanaco. 
  The 
  chanaco 
  is 
  the 
  youngest 
  son, 
  who 
  has 
  abso- 
  

   lute 
  rights 
  to 
  the 
  house 
  and 
  house 
  plot. 
  The 
  pive, 
  or 
  oldest 
  son, 
  is 
  

   usually 
  the 
  executor 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  estate. 
  His 
  decisions 
  in 
  the 
  absence 
  

   of 
  witnessed 
  instructions 
  from 
  the 
  deceased 
  are 
  usually 
  accepted 
  by 
  

   the 
  other 
  heirs, 
  although 
  cases 
  do 
  occur 
  in 
  which 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  heirs 
  

   will 
  challenge 
  the 
  executor 
  and 
  prosecute 
  the 
  matter 
  in 
  the 
  courts. 
  

  

  The 
  modern 
  principle 
  of 
  legal 
  equality 
  for 
  women 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  

   accepted 
  wholeheartedly. 
  Numerous 
  disputes 
  occur 
  within 
  the 
  

   community 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  inheritance 
  of 
  land 
  by 
  women. 
  One 
  

   factor 
  to 
  be 
  considered 
  is 
  the 
  fear 
  that 
  strangers 
  might 
  marry 
  women 
  

   of 
  the 
  community 
  and 
  come 
  to 
  work 
  their 
  land. 
  One 
  hears 
  from 
  

   certain 
  informants 
  that 
  women 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  permitted 
  to 
  inherit 
  

   land 
  since 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  work 
  in 
  the 
  faenas, 
  the 
  compulsory 
  public 
  

   works. 
  Dispite 
  all 
  objections 
  and 
  prejudices 
  to 
  the 
  contrary, 
  the 
  

   laws 
  do 
  protect 
  female 
  inheritance 
  and 
  the 
  Indian 
  begins 
  to 
  accept 
  

   the 
  inevitable. 
  

  

  In 
  Kauri, 
  one 
  curious 
  form 
  of 
  inheritance 
  relates 
  to 
  the 
  chanaco 
  

   inheritance 
  of 
  the 
  house. 
  Apparently, 
  the 
  youngest 
  son 
  is 
  entitled 
  

   to 
  the 
  adobe 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  but 
  must 
  divide 
  the 
  materials 
  of 
  the 
  

   thatched 
  roof 
  and, 
  mainly, 
  the 
  beams 
  with 
  the 
  other 
  heirs. 
  Wood 
  is 
  

   an 
  article 
  of 
  great 
  value 
  in 
  the 
  higher 
  altitudes. 
  Property 
  of 
  senti- 
  

   mental 
  and 
  religious 
  value 
  is 
  highly 
  regarded 
  by 
  the 
  Quechua. 
  Many 
  

   a 
  destitute 
  Indian 
  will 
  suffer 
  painful 
  poverty 
  before 
  he 
  is 
  willing 
  to 
  

   sell 
  a 
  queros 
  that 
  has 
  passed 
  down 
  in 
  the 
  family, 
  or 
  a 
  copper 
  pendant 
  

   which 
  he 
  had 
  as 
  a 
  child. 
  

  

  It 
  should 
  be 
  pointed 
  out 
  that 
  conflicts 
  frequently 
  arise 
  between 
  

   the 
  principle 
  of 
  absolute 
  ownership 
  and 
  usufruct. 
  Heirs 
  who 
  have 
  

   attempted 
  to 
  regain 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  land 
  formerly 
  given 
  in 
  usufruct 
  by 
  

   their 
  fathers 
  to 
  a 
  friend 
  or 
  distant 
  relative 
  have 
  difficulty 
  in 
  winning 
  

   their 
  point. 
  The 
  community 
  is 
  bound 
  to 
  be 
  against 
  them, 
  though 
  

   the 
  law 
  may 
  be 
  on 
  their 
  side. 
  Sorcery 
  and 
  magic 
  are 
  usually 
  invoked 
  

   to 
  settle 
  such 
  disputes. 
  

  

  