Kinship and Residence

Kinship and Residence

Both the CD-Rom film “The Ax Fight” and the book, Yanomamo, by Napoleon Chagnon deliver great insight into the lives of the primitive Yanomamo Indians. Because of their residence in the jungles of Brazil and Venezuela, the Yanomamo have remained virtually unchanged by the modern world and are thus prove to be amazing cultural specimen. After reading the book and viewing the film, it is clear that while the Yanomamo greatly value relationships based on kinship, marriage, and patrilineal descent, their area of residence creates the strongest bonds they share with others (Chagnon 1997, p. 122).

Within each village, the Yanomamo have fairly strict rules governing marriage and the treatment of their spouses. While these “rules” signify the importance of the marital bond, it is clear through the typical treatment of women by men that marriage is not the most important relationship in this culture. At a young age, sometimes far before she reaches puberty, a girl may be “promised” as a wife to a man in a village. This union is usually decided upon based repaying political debts and the woman is almost never consulted (Chagnon 1997, p. 124) In addition, it is common for a Yanomamo man to have more than one wife based upon his ranking within the village. From a young age, boys are taught violence toward women and this behavior continues into manhood and is manifested in marital relationships. Men beat their wives for minor grievances and sometimes simply to prove that they are fierce. Chagnon cites instances where women are severely beaten, shot, and even burned to the point where they have lost the use of body parts (Chagnon 1997, p.125). Moreover, when questioned about feelings of love toward a mate, the Yanomamo displayed confusion signifying that this was not a standard emotion in a marital union. Women are commonly treated as sexual objects and the property of their spouses. While Yanomamo men greatly value their wives for the roles they play as sexual partner, childbearer, and wood provider, it is clear that the tie between a man and woman created through marriage is not particularly strong.

Contrasting with the irreverence shown toward their mates, the Yanomamo greatly value their alliances with surrounding villages. These relationships dictate the overall atmosphere within a village, the size and permanence of a particular village, and the safety of everyone in the tribe. Consequently, these alliances are placed on a pedestal and are stronger than those created through kinship. For instance, when a man attempts to fornicate with the wife of another man, a certain amount of disturbance is created. One man may challenge another to a club fight or they may engage in a verbal battle. However, when the members of one tribe sense that they may be under attack by a neighboring village, every person and every action within the village is altered. Nobody leaves the village alone and each individual aspect of the daily life of the Yanomamo is affected