﻿882 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  is 
  used 
  (Brettes, 
  1903, 
  fig. 
  31). 
  Usually, 
  fires 
  are 
  started 
  with 
  brands 
  

   borrowed 
  from 
  another 
  house 
  or 
  preserved 
  on 
  the 
  trail 
  with 
  a 
  slow 
  

   burning 
  brand. 
  

  

  SOCIAL 
  ORGANIZATION 
  

  

  The 
  basis 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  is 
  the 
  bilateral 
  family 
  composed 
  of 
  parents 
  

   and 
  unmarried 
  children. 
  Outside 
  of 
  this 
  group 
  the 
  principal 
  source 
  of 
  

   social 
  authority 
  is 
  the 
  priest 
  (mama) 
  . 
  In 
  recent 
  generations, 
  Spanish 
  

   names 
  are 
  used 
  and 
  particular 
  names 
  are 
  associated 
  with 
  certain 
  vil- 
  

   lages. 
  In 
  addition, 
  Indian 
  names 
  are 
  given 
  at 
  birth, 
  but 
  apparently 
  

   these 
  names 
  are 
  not 
  connected 
  with 
  family 
  lines. 
  

  

  When 
  a 
  boy 
  comes 
  of 
  marriageable 
  age 
  and 
  selects 
  a 
  prospective 
  

   mate, 
  he 
  makes 
  his 
  choice 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  priest 
  (mama). 
  At 
  a 
  dis- 
  

   cussion 
  of 
  the 
  priest 
  and 
  elders 
  in 
  the 
  temple, 
  the 
  suitability 
  of 
  the 
  

   marriage 
  is 
  determined. 
  This 
  largely 
  rests 
  on 
  whether 
  the 
  two 
  are 
  

   related. 
  If 
  no 
  relationship 
  comes 
  to 
  light 
  and 
  the 
  girPs 
  father 
  ap- 
  

   proves, 
  the 
  boy 
  enters 
  upon 
  a 
  year's 
  service 
  to 
  the 
  prospective 
  bride's 
  

   parents, 
  carrying 
  wood 
  and 
  assisting 
  in 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  their 
  garden. 
  

   During 
  this 
  period, 
  the 
  couple 
  does 
  not 
  have 
  sexual 
  relations. 
  At 
  the 
  

   end 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  if 
  the 
  service 
  proves 
  satisfactory, 
  a 
  small 
  hut 
  is 
  built 
  

   near 
  the 
  village, 
  the 
  bride 
  is 
  provided 
  by 
  the 
  priest 
  with 
  small 
  bundles 
  

   of 
  maize 
  husks 
  containing 
  charm 
  stones, 
  and 
  the 
  couple 
  repairs 
  to 
  the 
  

   hut 
  for 
  2 
  nights. 
  Among 
  the 
  lea, 
  the 
  couple 
  is 
  attended 
  by 
  an 
  assist- 
  

   ant 
  to 
  the 
  priest, 
  who 
  is 
  present 
  during 
  the 
  first 
  intercourse, 
  and 
  the 
  

   bride 
  must 
  place 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  charm 
  stones 
  under 
  her 
  anus 
  during 
  the 
  act 
  

   in 
  order 
  to 
  ward 
  off 
  the 
  potentially 
  evil 
  spirits. 
  After 
  2 
  nights, 
  the 
  

   couple 
  returns 
  to 
  the 
  priest, 
  who 
  delivers 
  a 
  lecture 
  on 
  their 
  duties 
  as 
  

   husband 
  and 
  wife. 
  Thereafter, 
  intercourse 
  must 
  take 
  place 
  outside 
  

   the 
  house, 
  preferably 
  in 
  the 
  cultivated 
  fields. 
  A 
  child 
  conceived 
  as 
  

   the 
  result 
  of 
  intercourse 
  indoors 
  will 
  be 
  either 
  blind 
  or 
  lazy. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  ceremony, 
  the 
  couple 
  takes 
  up 
  residence 
  apart 
  from 
  the 
  

   parents, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  regarded 
  as 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  wife's 
  village. 
  

  

  Polygyny 
  occurs 
  but 
  is 
  not 
  common. 
  Usually 
  only 
  a 
  priest 
  or 
  a 
  

   wealthy 
  man 
  will 
  have 
  plural 
  wives. 
  Additional 
  wives 
  are 
  most 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  acquired 
  from 
  the 
  ranks 
  of 
  the 
  widows. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  indication 
  

   that 
  the 
  sororate 
  and 
  levirate 
  operate 
  in 
  this 
  region. 
  

  

  The 
  priest 
  (mama) 
  exercises 
  the 
  principal 
  authority 
  (pi. 
  181, 
  top 
  ,left), 
  

   although 
  under 
  Spanish 
  influence 
  each 
  village 
  has 
  a 
  secular 
  headman 
  or 
  

   commissioner. 
  The 
  latter, 
  however, 
  refers 
  important 
  questions 
  to 
  the 
  

   priest 
  for 
  final 
  decision. 
  The 
  headman 
  of 
  the 
  village 
  usually 
  serves 
  for 
  

   1 
  or 
  2 
  years 
  to 
  be 
  succeeded 
  by 
  another 
  wealthy 
  or 
  influential 
  indi- 
  

   vidual. 
  

  

  Social 
  sanctions 
  against 
  stealing 
  and 
  violence 
  toward 
  others 
  are 
  

   particularly 
  strong. 
  As 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  Spanish 
  influence, 
  offenders 
  are 
  

  

  