﻿948 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  heights 
  of 
  Cuetando, 
  where 
  they 
  built 
  a 
  hut 
  and 
  planted 
  a 
  miniature 
  

   field 
  as 
  proof 
  of 
  their 
  masculine 
  aptitude. 
  

  

  Education. 
  — 
  Today 
  the 
  Indians 
  are 
  educated 
  principally 
  by 
  their 
  

   parents 
  in 
  the 
  customs 
  and 
  tasks 
  pertaining 
  to 
  each 
  sex. 
  Some 
  boys 
  

   and 
  a 
  few 
  girls 
  are 
  sent 
  to 
  the 
  few 
  missionary 
  schools, 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  

   given 
  religious 
  instruction 
  and 
  are 
  taught 
  Spanish, 
  arithmetic, 
  

   geography, 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  Colombia, 
  and 
  modern 
  embroidery 
  or 
  light 
  

   basketwork. 
  The 
  Pdez 
  are 
  reluctant 
  to 
  send 
  their 
  daughters 
  to 
  the 
  

   schools 
  because 
  they 
  feel 
  that 
  women 
  should 
  keep 
  the 
  traditions 
  of 
  

   their 
  people. 
  The 
  missionary 
  schools 
  strive 
  to 
  change 
  the 
  native 
  

   language 
  and 
  the 
  cultural 
  traditions 
  which 
  have 
  given 
  the 
  Indian 
  

   community 
  social 
  cohesion. 
  

  

  Marriage. 
  11 
  — 
  Formerly 
  polygyny 
  was 
  prevalent, 
  but 
  now 
  Catholi- 
  

   cism 
  has 
  imposed 
  monogamy. 
  The 
  Indians 
  continue, 
  however, 
  to 
  

   practice 
  trial 
  marriage 
  (amario). 
  A 
  marriage 
  is 
  arranged 
  as 
  follows: 
  

  

  The 
  bride 
  is 
  selected 
  by 
  the 
  young 
  man's 
  parents 
  or 
  by 
  himself. 
  His 
  parents 
  

   and 
  two 
  witnesses 
  or 
  godparents 
  then 
  visit 
  her 
  house 
  to 
  request 
  her 
  for 
  the 
  groom. 
  

   They 
  also 
  serve 
  as 
  advisors 
  to 
  the 
  young 
  woman, 
  in 
  case 
  she 
  disapproves 
  the 
  

   marriage. 
  The 
  visitors 
  carry 
  half-filled 
  bottles 
  of 
  rum 
  (aguardiente) 
  and 
  some 
  

   special 
  garments 
  for 
  the 
  girl. 
  The 
  young 
  man's 
  father 
  offers 
  the 
  girl's 
  father 
  a 
  

   half-bottle, 
  acceptance 
  of 
  which 
  means, 
  as 
  usual 
  among 
  the 
  Pdez, 
  that 
  the 
  second 
  

   party 
  is 
  well 
  disposed 
  toward 
  the 
  proposal 
  and 
  the 
  negotiations 
  may 
  proceed. 
  

   If 
  the 
  girl's 
  mother 
  agrees, 
  the 
  boy's 
  mother 
  presents 
  her 
  a 
  half- 
  bottle 
  of 
  liquor. 
  

   The 
  godfather 
  or 
  witness 
  gives 
  another 
  half-bottle 
  to 
  the 
  girl's 
  father 
  and 
  the 
  

   godmother 
  gives 
  one 
  to 
  the 
  mother. 
  The 
  visitors 
  now 
  leave, 
  taking 
  the 
  girl, 
  

   who 
  then 
  begins 
  a 
  year 
  of 
  trial 
  marriage, 
  during 
  which 
  the 
  young 
  man 
  seeks 
  

   proof 
  that 
  the 
  girl 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  bear 
  children, 
  is 
  active, 
  cooks 
  well, 
  can 
  weave, 
  and 
  

   can 
  cultivate 
  the 
  land. 
  After 
  the 
  trial 
  period, 
  the 
  man 
  may 
  return 
  the 
  girl 
  to 
  her 
  

   parents 
  or 
  they 
  marry 
  in 
  the 
  Catholic 
  Church, 
  holding 
  a 
  feast 
  which, 
  like 
  all 
  

   such 
  celebrations, 
  is 
  called 
  a 
  "cuido." 
  The 
  couple 
  and 
  their 
  parents 
  and 
  god- 
  

   parents 
  are 
  accompanied 
  by 
  an 
  orchestra 
  (chirimia) 
  to 
  the 
  house 
  where 
  the 
  feast 
  

   is 
  to 
  be 
  held. 
  Here 
  the 
  bride 
  puts 
  on 
  a 
  modern 
  dress, 
  a 
  ribbon 
  on 
  her 
  hair, 
  neck- 
  

   laces, 
  and 
  earrings, 
  while 
  the 
  groom 
  is 
  with 
  his 
  godfather. 
  As 
  the 
  guests 
  arrive, 
  

   chicha 
  is 
  distributed 
  frequently, 
  music 
  is 
  played, 
  and 
  then 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  feast 
  of 
  thick 
  

   soup, 
  generally 
  with 
  chicken, 
  cooked 
  yuca, 
  arracacha, 
  and 
  roast 
  or 
  baked 
  meat. 
  

   In 
  the 
  afternoon, 
  after 
  more 
  music 
  and 
  chicha 
  drinking, 
  the 
  "refresco," 
  really 
  a 
  

   banquet 
  or 
  social 
  communion, 
  is 
  served. 
  Six 
  bottles 
  of 
  wine 
  made 
  from 
  cane 
  

   molasses, 
  cinnamon, 
  and 
  cloves, 
  and 
  cake 
  are 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  bride, 
  groom, 
  godmother, 
  

   and 
  godfather, 
  who 
  give 
  some 
  to 
  everyone 
  present. 
  A 
  prayer, 
  led 
  by 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  

   the 
  house, 
  then 
  asks 
  the 
  souls 
  of 
  the 
  dead 
  to 
  bless 
  the 
  marriage 
  and 
  give 
  permission 
  

   to 
  dance. 
  First, 
  the 
  godfather 
  dances 
  with 
  the 
  bride, 
  then 
  the 
  godmother 
  with 
  

   the 
  groom, 
  after 
  which 
  everyone 
  dances. 
  The 
  feast 
  lasts 
  5 
  days, 
  depending 
  on 
  

   the 
  wealth 
  of 
  the 
  family. 
  Chicha 
  is 
  served 
  and 
  accepted 
  with 
  the 
  phrase, 
  "May 
  

   God 
  pay 
  you, 
  compadrito, 
  for 
  accompanying 
  us. 
  Accompany 
  us 
  more." 
  

  

  Death. 
  — 
  At 
  a 
  death, 
  the 
  family 
  formerly 
  buried 
  the 
  deceased 
  inside 
  

   the 
  house 
  with 
  his 
  possessions, 
  and 
  abandoned 
  it. 
  Some 
  communities, 
  

   however, 
  preferred 
  to 
  cremate 
  the 
  body 
  or 
  dry 
  it 
  over 
  the 
  fire. 
  The 
  

  

  11 
  1 
  thank 
  my 
  wife 
  and 
  companion, 
  Helena 
  Ospina 
  de 
  Hernandez, 
  for 
  her 
  research 
  in 
  1936 
  on 
  matrimonial 
  

  

  matters. 
  

  

  