Kin Groups and Descent. Hani descent is patrilineal and kin groups are organized into patrilineal clans. Clans trace their ancestry back forty to fifty generations, although the first twenty generations might be a combination of spirits and mythical ancestors. A clan is composed of thirty to forty households with an elderly male clan head.
Kinship Terminology. The Hani refer to a clan as a gu. The Hani adopted Han Chinese-style surnames during the Ming dynasty.
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