ABSTRACT
The Kwakiutl are composed of a great many tribes that are subdivided into bilateral family lines—the numaym—the members of which claim descent from some mythical ancestor. Upon an economic base of comparative plenty, the Kwakiutl have developed a system of economic exchanges that bears little relation to the problem of existence. In a region renowned for the abundance of its sea life, the principal economic pursuit of the Kwakiutl is fishing. The organization of fishing within the numaym is essentially individualistic, though sometimes a group of brothers cooperate in fishing. All the social relations among the Kwakiutl are keyed to the principle of rank, and each individual of any status in the community is motivated by an obsessive drive for prestige. The individual among the Kwakiutl is fitted very early into the competitive pattern. The Kwakiutl numaym functions cooperatively in interfamily conflicts in a fashion somewhat similar to the Ifugao family.
