Okay...so you're wondering why this is
illustrating the kinship topic page. Trust us, there is a reason. It
has to do with turquoise and yellow shell. And it has to do with a
type of social division known as a moiety.
A moiety has to do with the way Pueblos understand their identity among
their people. At birth a Pueblo child is born into his mother's moiety.
(It's your job to research that what a moiety is...) A child might also be
born into a clan -- yet another
traditional division of the pueblo. The pueblo child might also be
part of a sub-clan or a phratry.
In time a member of a Pueblo may also become part a member of a society.
These divisions determine many things for a Pueblo man or woman -- like
who you can marry, who governs you, where you will live. They define
Pueblo identity.
A hint: Pueblo kinship systems vary from pueblo to
pueblo, so don't get confused. A good approach might be to contrast
two pueblo kinship systems. Try picking from San Juan, Taos, Zuni,
Acoma, Jemez, and San Ildefonso. Pick a pair that we can learn from!
Knowing about kinship systems and about terms like
"matrilineal," "matrilocal," "bi-lateral"
can be useful for anyone doing study in anthropology.
You become the expert...enlighten us!
