Eunoai

GROUP F : EUNOAI

You live in a coastal region with river valleys running between the mountains in the east and the coast. There is ample rainfall. A strip of land along the coast is relatively flat. The land slopes gently upwards as one travels inland from the coast. The rivers have deposited silt at their mouths to produce a shelf in the ocean which is relatively shallow. However, the ocean drops off deeply along the coast further south. A peninsula shelters a bay with a small island. The climate is mild, ranging between 15-20C in the north and 25C in the south.

Name your homeland: Eunoai Name your people(s): Eunoais Name the prominent geographic features of your homeland: coastal, bay with island, rivers, mountains Populate your homeland: 800,000 What biota exist in your homeland? numerous tropical fruits trees and plants, bamboo, rice crops, trees suitable for wood use What natural resources are available? fresh water, wood, rice, fish & seafood, fruit, vegetables and medium to small game, pearls, jade, salt, clay, stone What natural resources are needed? coal and some minerals


 * SUBSISTENCE**

1. What pattern(s) of subsistence will your culture follow?

horticulture hunters & gathers

2. What resources does your territory have to support your subsistence pattern(s)? We have an numerous rice fields which we can sustain throughout the year for a continuous staple food supply. A large rainforest provides a vast variety of fruits and up higher in the mountains vegetables are available. Small to medium game, such as birds, felines, primates, snakes, lizards, rodents, pigs/boars are all types of food as well as some types of fungi and insects. Fishing is also a major part of the diet, with fresh water fish from the rivers and seafood from the coast and in the cove.

3. How do the climate and seasons in your territory affect your subsistence pattern(s)? The climate is very humid and receives plenty of rain. There are 2 seasons: wet and dry. The ample amount of rain keeps the forest lush and full of resources. The rivers tend to become very high during the rainy season, so those living around it tend to live in houses on stilts and use their river boats when needed.

During the dry season however, because of the humidity of living by the ocean, there are still periodic rainfalls in the evenings or late afternoons.

The rice that is grown here is called Wet Rice. Water is used to flood the field while the seedling grows. This prevents the need for pesticides and also prevents vermin or other animals from damaging the crops. Having this strategy makes cultivating rice throughout the year possible.

4. How will your subsistence pattern(s) relate to your population size and location? Our villages and settlements are a moderate size being that we are able to sustain a staple diet in rice and fish, however being that fishing and rice cultivation is very labor intensive we have continued to be hunters and gathers. A growing population, though not yet excessive in size.

5. How will the labour involved in subsistence be distributed among your people? Rice fields in different areas are divided into kinship groups and each is responsible to cultivating the rice there. They make enough food for themselves as well as excess for festivals and community gatherings and trade. Although everyone has a role in hunting, gathering some duties are favored for women and children and others based on gender, age and kinship. Men will me mainly involved in fishing.

6. What technology do your people use for subsistence purposes? Basic tools are used for cultivating rice, hoes, spades, baskets, etc. made from various materials such as stone, wood, bamboo etc. Bamboo is a great resource for making ladders, poles (fishing) etc.

7. What impact does your subsistence have on the environment?

8. How do your people clothe themselves? By using bamboo cloth, an assortement of leather, and feathers used as adornements in festivals. Clay, Jade, pearls, coral, and precious woods are seen in jewellry.

9. What type of shelter(s) do your people live in? Elevated huts made from wood and various tree products in river settlements. Along the coast lines, the structure of the shelters differ to accomodate changing weather patterns, but are made of the same materials.

10. Do your people have material goods? What kinds? Where do they come from? Jewellry is very important in Eunoai. Using clay, jade, pearls, coral, and precious woods, the Eunoai's are renound for their jewellry across contennentia.

11. What is your people’s diet? How do they prepare food? What is a typical meal? Based mainly on seafood, rice, seasonal fruits & vegetables, and small game. Eunoai's use various methods to cook their food, including steaming, boiling, roasting, and also sun drying and salt drying. The Eunoia's graze through out the day, eating small meals until the end of the day,when each family gathers together to feast and rest after the day's work.

12. Are there any celebrations centred on subsistence issues e.g. a harvest celebration? Are there special ceremonial or ritual foods? No, because although the Eunoai's have seasonal fruits and vegetables, the Eunoia's diets are fairly stable (based primarily on seafood, rice, seasonal fruits, seasonal vegetables and small game).

Note: depending on your choice of subsistence pattern(s), you may have to do some reseearch to fully answer these questions. For example, if you chose ‘horticulture,’ you should know something about how to grow food and/or raise animals. If you chose ‘foraging,’ you should know something about wild foods. And so on.

> which grandparents.... the father's parents or the mother's parents or both? how do grandparents decide which child to live with? is it based on patrilineality? 2. What are the roles of the members of the family in the subsistence system you've chosen? The Eunoai men take part in the more labour-intensive aspects of the subsistence system- including fishing, hunting game, cultivating salt, gathering clay, rice cultivation, building huts and boats, creating tools, etc., and jade collection and manufacturing. The Eunoai women take part in responsibilities such as gathering fruits and vegetables, preparing the food (including meat), tending to rice fields, weaving, pottery making (includes forming and drying clay), tending to children and elderly, child rearing, and daily household reponsibilities. The Eunoai children assist in gathering fruits, vegetables, and fire wood, as well as helping to take care of younger siblings. Elders are involved in child rearing, and gathering flowers and various colourful plants for festive decore (during this time, story telling and traditions are told to the children by the elders).
 * Is it a nuclear family? No, the Eunoai's congregate with extended families.
 * Is it an extended family? Who does it include? Yes, it includes nuclear family, including unmarried children and siblings, and grandparents and great grandparents.
 * Are there households of non-kin? Who can co-habit this way? No. Households consist of consanguineal members only.

3. Is your descent system unilineal? No.


 * If so, will it be patrilineal or matrilineal? Patrilineal
 * If it is patrilineal, is it also patriarchal? No. Dominance is subjective to different responsibilities for both women and men,
 * If it is not unilineal, what kind of cognatic system is it? Bilateral.


 * If so, how many lineages are there? How many families in each lineage? Numerous.
 * If so, what are the corporate powers of the lineage?
 * If so, is each lineage associated with a particular skill, occupation, or trait?


 * If so, what lineages belong to what clans? N/A
 * If so, who is the apical ancestor mythological or just forgotten? N/A
 * If so, do your clans have distinct totems? What do they symbolize? N/A
 * If so, do your clans have chiefs? N/A


 * If so, what are the two moieties called? N/A
 * If so, how does an individual inherit his/her moiety? N/A


 * What specific group is one expected to find a spouse from? It is subjective to an agreement between elders and parents whereby abilities (e.g. rhetorical abilities as well as cultivating abilities) and resources are considered.


 * If so, does it include both polygyny and polyandry or just one? N/A


 * by the individuals themselves? Yes.
 * by the individuals' parents? Yes, when the woman and man want to marry, they seek the approval of the family (parents and grandparents).
 * by supernatural means or by a match-maker?

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11. Does the marriage involve bride wealth or dowry or some other arrangement of gift-giving? There is a mutual gift-giving ritual coordinated by the parents for the parents (e.g. his parents accepting her, and her parents accepting him - also welcoming them to the family).=====

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12. Describe about the wedding ceremony/ritual/celebration. The ceremony, ritual, and celebration all takes place in the city center, where the village shaman directs the ceremony and blesses the marriage. A bountiful feast takes place after the ceremony, the rituals (which are directed by the shaman) are continuous throughout the event. Singing, dancing, traditional dress, gift-giving and sharing all take place during the celebration.=====

13. Where do the married couple reside after they are married? The Eunoais are neo-local, thus the married couple may choose to reside wherever they wish.

Economic System

1. Taking your subsistence into account, what resources are needed and how will they be allocated in your culture? e.g. land tenure, access to raw materials

2. What labour is involved in your subsistence? Who does what? (See question 2 in Kinship Section)

3. Are people compensated for their labour? If so, how? Yes, through the trade of other various products, foods, and services (i.e. I will make you a clay pot if you make me a woven basket).

4. What goods are produced in your culture? Is it through households or occupations? Small-scale handicrafts or large-scale industrialized products? Goods are produced from households and are small-scale handicrafted products.

5. What rituals or ceremonies are the basis for generalized reciprocity? balanced reciprocity? What gift giving is involved? Generalized reciporcity would be a marriage ceremony, balanced reciprocity ceremonies would be funerals and births. E.g. Births involve the giving of jewellry, fruits & vegetables, flowers, seeds (for fruits and vegetables to be planted on the day of the birth by the grandmother).

6. Is there trade within your culture? With another culture? What is the basis of the transaction? (i.e. barter? money? some other medium of exchange?) Yes, there is trade within the Eunoai country (as seen in question 3) as well with other cultures by means of bartering and other mediums of exchange.

7. Is there any form of redistribution of goods and services? The redistribution of goods and services will be allocated depending on the needs of other villages (i.e. redistribution of rice to the coastal, fishing villages, and the redistribution of seafood to the inland villages).

8. If you decide on a market-based economy, describe the allocation of labour, the means of production, the products, who are the consumers, etc. Markets/trading posts are located at strategic points with neighboring countries and in the bay. Not only ouselves, who are the consumer, but also the trade with other countries who will trade with.

9. Does your group trade with another group? What is traded? How is trade incorporated into the economic system? TBA  10. Is the distribution of wealth equitable in your culture or are there differences in social status, wealth, and prestige? How is wealth achieved? maintained? displayed? Wealth is equitable in the Eunoain culture. There is a Shaman who is respected amongst the villagers, as well as the wise elders.

POLITICAL SYSTEM

When considering these following questions, keep in mind the subsistence strategy/strategies and economic system you have developed so far. Population size is also a factor. Later, religion may also be a consideration.

1. What kind of political organization(s) will your culture have?

• uncentralized tribes

2. If your culture has a leader, how does a person acquire this status? What are his/her responsibilities to the community? No

3. If your culture has a centralized leader, what is his/her title? What social stratification is in place to support the political system? What bureaucracy and institutions are needed? n/a

4. How does a leader maintain influence/authority/power? Can the leader be replaced? If so, how? n/a

5. How does your culture deal with conflict and disagreement among its people? (Consider how you answered this in the very first exercise we did). Through the spiritual leader, the village Shaman.

6. How does your culture make decisions that affect the whole community? Mutual concensus, but if unagreeable conflict arises, then the village shaman shall intervene.

7. How does your culture deal with inappropriate social behaviour and crime? Outlawing is the most severe punishment, for inexcusable crimes such as rape, murder, etc. However, more minor crimes ( innapropriate social behaviour) such as disrespecting elders are dealt with by the community as a whole - the guilty is shunned until they atone for their actions. This can be shown through trade sanctions with the individual, etc.

8. What are typical negative social sanctions in your culture? Typical positive social sanctions? Negative social sanctions would be outlawing, shunning, stopping economic ties, etc. Positive social sanctions would be coming of age rituals, marriage, general acknowledged respect, etc.

9. Is there internal strife within your culture? Describe how it occurs, why it occurs, and how it is resolved (if it is). Internal strife comes when economic exchanges (trade) are deemed as unfairly divided.

10. Is there external strife between your culture and another culture? Describe how/why it occurs. How is peace achieved/achievable? Complications between other villages with trade and land claims. Peace is achieved through negotiation, mutual concensus, and if need be, a meeting of the different leaders/shamans of the conflicting countries.


 * RELIGIOUS BELIEF SYSTEM**

1. Does your culture worship a deity or deities? The Eunoia culture is a polytheistic culture, and therefore believes in numerous dieties

2. If your culture is monotheistic... n/a

What does God look like? What role does God play in people’s lives?

3. If your culture is polytheistic...

How many gods are there? Numerous, one for each natural element (light, wind, water, etc) What do they look like? They represent the human form, but still display representations of the element they are attributed to.

Do different gods have different responsibilities in the world? e.g. death, fertility, rain: Yes, each diety has their own responsibility in conjunction with their element, i.e. the god of wind is responsible for weather. The goddess of fertility is responsible for the continuation of life.

4. Does your culture have ancestor veneration? Is it totemic? How does ancestral veneration work? Yes, the Eunoia culture has ancestor veneration, however it is not totemic.

5. Does your culture believe in animism or animatism? How does it work? The Eunoia culture believes in animitism, however the Shaman is the only one who is able to draw upon a specific deities force and be able to transfer that power into a fetish, for example. However, the Shaman would only do this for an individual/kinship group if they were to provide an offering for the Shaman to give the deity in return for drawing on its power.

6. Is there a belief in ghosts and demons? What role do they play? Can they be controlled or used? : Some specific dieties are concieved as demons, such as the deity of darkness and the deity of death.

7. What is the culture’s mythology?

How did the world begin? The cooperation of the different dieties created the world How were humans created? Cooperation between the fertility and death deities What stories explain the existence of things? of culture? Depending on what thing or aspect of the culture is being explain, there would be a certain story with the deity the correlates to the idea or object. The story could explain the powers and roles the deity has under taken and explain the makings and exist of an object, as well as for cultural aspects, teach morals. What happens to people after death? The deity of death would take the persons soul in that has dead, and they become a part of his existence and power. What moral lesson are taught? The moral of respect would be one of the biggest one. Through the stories they are taught the moral of respect towards the deity, thus the respect is reflected onto that deities creation and into the daily lives of the people.

8. How do people worship?

on their own? Yes, by respecting the creations of said deities and putting certain offerings in a household for a specific deity they wish to have the favor of, and the offerings are also a symbol for their respect to that deity with religious specialists? healers, diviners, mediums, shamans, priests/priestesses? a bit of both? who does what? Shamans are the only religious specialists and are the only ones that can contact and draw upon the deities powers and transfer it into objects or fetishes. If people wish to have a favor of a deity that is more than just mutual respect they need to bring a specific offering intended for a certain deity to the shaman for their use.

10. If there are religious specialists... Shamans

how do they become religious specialists? The active shaman has to pick a person from one of the other kinship groups that shows a greater aptitude for spiritual power and connection and take them in as an apprentice when the time is right. how do they connect with the supernatural world? manipulate it? By the use of a specific and relative offering for the deity being contacted and then the shaman entering a meditative state which lets them connect to the deity and draw upon the power. what is their social status? The highest in the village and most respect. However the shaman would only use their political status when requested my kinship groups.

11. Is there a belief in magic used? How is it used for good or bad? How do people protect themselves from bad magic? No we would not have magic. It is only the deities powers that are drawn upon by the shaman and the deities themselves that could use their power to punish a wrong doer.

12. Are there rites of passage? If so, what rites are there? e.g. mortuary, marriage, birth Yes, birth, coming of age, marriage and mortuary.

13. Are there rites of intensification? If so, for what purposes? e.g. fertility, drought, epidemics Yes, people call upon the shaman to contact and draw up the power of certain deity for certain situations, such as the deities of fertility, illness and death.

14. How are the rituals in 12 & 13 performed? e.g what offerings, sacrifices, symbols, actions, language, costumes, masks, performances, etc. are involved? By whom? By the shaman, through offerings, symbols such as a fetish to place the draw upon power into, the shaman has specific costumes to wear in correlation with the deity being contacted and the offerings. 15. Have there been changes in belief? Conflicts? Have these resulted in cults or movements? How have these been handled by the social structure There is mutual belief from all the villages on the belief of these deities and how they interact with the people and world. -- GENDER QUESTIONS

1. How is gender identity reflected in differernces in clothing, behaviour, speech, etc.?

2. What are the gender roles of men and women, boys and girls in the domestic sphere and in subsistence labour?

3. What gender roles are apparent in economic activities, political organization, and religion?

4. What gender status differences are there between men and women?

5. What control do women have over divorcing their husbands?