This text is a case study of one people, the Canela, which traces changes through time, a group uniquely held together by social and sexual bonds, and reveals the ethnographer's fieldwork practices. The authors present much of the material through short narratives and examples and Native points of view are expressed through their diaries. The reader is introduced to the Canela with an account of one of the author's arrivals in the tribe. This is followed by a brief history of the Canela that clarifies how the network of the kinship system holds the society together, and how the unusual sex practices create satisfying bonds among the people. The case study also shows how the practice of rituals affirms the group way of life for the individual. Many contemporary influences have caused the gradual demise of the Canela way of life. The case study concludes with an epilogue on the Canela's future adaptation to Brazilian life.
Author(s): William H. Crocker, Jean G. Crocker
Edition: 2 ed.
Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing (1756)
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 172
Contents......Page 5
Foreword......Page 8
Preface......Page 11
Introduction to the Second Edition......Page 17
Chapter 1: A First Visit to the Canela......Page 19
Chapter 2: The Historical Context......Page 28
Pacification and Adaptation......Page 29
Culture Change in the 20th Century......Page 42
Consanguineal and Affinial Kinship......Page 63
Other Forms of "Kinship"......Page 79
Keeping the Peace through Alternative Systems......Page 85
Summary......Page 87
Life Cycle Rites......Page 89
Festivals......Page 96
Belief Systems......Page 103
Summary......Page 114
Chapter 5: The Extramarital Sex System......Page 116
Public and Private Aspects of the System......Page 117
Learning about Sex......Page 123
Conformity to Sexual Norms......Page 135
Advantages of the System for Canela Society......Page 143
The Demise of the Extramarital Sex System......Page 144
Epilogue: The Future of the Canela......Page 149
Appendix A: Mythology......Page 153
Appendix B: Orthography......Page 156
Appendix C: Comparison of Topics across Various Media......Page 158
References......Page 163
Index......Page 167
