Mikir - Kinship

Kin Groups and Descent. The Mikir living in the hill country are divided into three groups: the Chintongm (living in the Mikir Hills), the Ronghang (occupying the Nowgong Plains), and the Amri (occupying the districts of the Khasi and Jaintia hills in Meghalaya and the Kamrup District of Assam). There is some question as to whether these names reflect true tribal divisions (derived from ancestral designations) or are simply place names. Each of these contains Several subdivisions, or kur. Each of these kur is exogamous, and their number is reckoned variously by ethnographers. Among those cited by Lyall is the list of Stack, who reckons their number at four. These are Ingti, Terang, Lekthe, and Timung. These four are further subdivided into additional exogamous groups. All members of a kur are considered to be brothers and sisters. Patrilineal descent is the norm.

Kinship Terminology. Omaha-type kinship terminology for first cousins is employed.