Bondo - Kinship

Kin Groups and Descent. At least three exogamous affiliations have been noted within Bondo society: the soru (that division represented by all of the members of a particular Village); the kuda (exogamous patrilineal clans of which several exist within a village, and the names of which are drawn from the titles of village officials); and the bonso (totemic divisions of which there are two—the ontal , "cobra," and the killo , "tiger"). Elwin considers this subdivision of Bondo society into two large moieties to be the oldest and most basic of Bondo subdivisions, the kuda and soru systems having been adopted or developed secondarily. Exogamy at the soru and kuda levels is strictly observed. Freedom of choice in the selection of mates and the numerical inequities characteristic of the two bonso divisions (the ontal being the larger of the two) have led to the ignoring of the rule of exogamy at this level.

Kinship Terminology. Iroquois kinship terminology is employed for first cousins.