Miskito kinship and household group: the cases of Auhya Pihni and Santa Martha

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze and describe certain features of the Miskito domestic and kinship group. Based on a bibliographical review of the Moskitia, and on his own research in two Miskito communities (Auyha Pihni and Santa Martha), the author finds that a Miskito couple, after marriage, is characterized by choosing to live with the wife's relatives. This constitutes another trait that differentiates the Miskitos from the inhabitants of Pacific mestizo Nicaragua whose couples, after getting together, normally choose residence with the husband's family. The study also deepens our knowledge of the Miskito family and its dynamics, while contributing to the discussion of changes in family organization in general, which may have useful theoretical implications for the analysis of similar situations in other regions of the world.