Makushi - Sociopolitical Organization

Each settlement has a chief; there is no chief of the tribe as a whole.

Social Organization. Makushi society is organized on the basis of age, kinship, and rule of residence. There are no social classes, since the Makushi are a tribal society. They have retained some degree of sociocultural stability in their process of integration into Brazilian society. The majority live in tribal villages, but some are dispersed among regional people. There is no physical segregation in their daily contact with Brazilians, but the latter control the wages for their manual labor, and there is evident discrimination in regard to commercial activities and economic opportunities. Land ownership is also an interethnic issue.