Wee Three Belize

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Wee Three Belize
kinship in sleep- babies sleep suspended while their mothers work together. Kinship bonds begin early.

One of the most “classic” topics studied by cultural anthropologists is kinship. Back in the discipline’s history, we find Lewis Henry Morgan taking care to decipher the many complex ways human societies trace our relatedness to one another. In Santa Cruz village in southern Belize, families are commonly large and extended, with the term “cousin” and “granny” applied generously to many. Children grow up with co-madres and co-padres, godparents who have a special set of bonds and responsibilities, and shares meals, sleeping spaces and playtime with each other reflecting these relationships. These photographs illustrate some of the different ways and moments in which three children might be related. Whether walking home from school, navigating a cave exploration or attending a wedding, the kinship bonds guiding the family’s network of relationships are flexible and complex- and often subtly apparent, even in the everyday.

kinship in sleep- babies sleep suspended while their mothers work together. Kinship bonds begin early.
kinship in ritual events- cousins living in other villages often will see each other rarely, traveling for hours for special events- this wedding for example
kinship in proximity- cousins and a friend enjoy a giggly walk home from school
kinship in age- boys of a certain age are free to help with a Saturday morning village clean up because they are not yet expected to accompany their fathers to the farm
kinship in work- these young girls enjoy a rest- brought together while their mothers work together to prepare a meal for the extended family. The girl on the right is the auntie of the her friends on the left.
kinship through the years- the oldest sister cares for the youngest
kinship in free time- cousins and siblings who traveled for an aunt’s wedding share some rare free time away from the chores at home
kinship in play- while the older girl takes the limelight and poses for a photo by the school, her sister plays with their cousin who is closer in age
kinship in adventure- two older boys take a younger brother along for a journey into Yok Balum cave, named for the jaguar paw above them

Kristina Baines is our resident cool anthropologist. She’s been formally trained in applied, sociocultural, ecological and medical anthropology at Florida Atlantic University (BA, MA), the University of Oxford (MSc) and the University of South Florida (PhD). She has a strong interest in corn, how what we do in our environment makes us well, and using innovative methods to make anthropology relevant and accessible to a wide audience. You can find out more about how these interests translate into projects and pursuits by perusing the rest of our site, or you can contact her directly at kristina@coolanthropology.com

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