The Structure of Ritual in the Northwest Amazon

The study of ritual structure should provide access to some of the deeper meanings and more significant relationships within culture. This chapter suggests some implications for evolutionary theory that arise from the study of the ritual structure of a particular culture. It observes the culture is that of the Cubeo, Tucanoan-speak-ing Indians of the Northwest Amazon whose rituals. The women of the sib are wives and mothers who are resident "aliens," and daughters and sisters who leave it after marriage. Because they lack continuity of residence with the sib all women are set apart as a laity whose ritual role is essentially passive. Cubeo ritual is held indoors so that sib houses must be large enough to entertain an entire phratry if they are to stage important ceremonies. Ritual places economy in a more significant perspective by bringing out the special values associated with food.