Callahuaya - Kinship

Kin Groups and Descent. Hamlets consist of minimal patrilineages, several of which form a maximal lineage. Baptism and marriage provide the Callahuaya with godparents, and these ritual ties unite families from different ecological zones and groups. The social relationships of natural kinship influence ritual kinship, and ritual kinship supports the ties of natural kinship.

Kinship Terminology. Quechua-speaking Callahuaya use classificatory kin terms. When they want to distinguish lineal relatives from collateral relatives, they add dueño (master of the home) to the kin term. "Oldest" and "youngest" are important kin-type qualifiers. The Callahuaya have adapted the ritual kinship ( compadrazgo ) of Spanish-Catholic origin to their classificatory kinship system: baptism creates a set of relationships similar to those received at birth.