Name-Givers, Spouse-Givers: Food Exchange between Kajkwakhratxi Brothers and Sisters

This article analyses brother-sister relationships within the kinship system of the Kajkwakhratxi (Tapayuna). It focuses on the impact that food exchanges have in shaping the relationships between opposite-sex siblings and their children. The study argues that consistent food gifting from a brother or sister often leads to the recipient naming the giver’s child, establishing an onomastic bond characterized by identification and joking. Conversely, a breakdown in this exchange pattern frequently results in siblings distancing themselves from each other’s offspring, a divergence signaling a process of differentiation that tends toward affinity—a relationship marked by avoidance and shame. Thus, the article explores the significance of food gifting as a mechanism for making kinship ties and how the absence of such exchange contributes to unmaking them. In exploring these topics, it seeks to show how Kajkwakhratxi relatives creatively engage with both their connections and their disconnections.