ABSTRACT
This chapter explores matrilineal societies—those in which descent is traced through females. Here, females and males are members of their mother's matriline by birth, but, in direct opposition to the case of patrilineal descent, only women can transmit this membership to offspring over the generations. From the Pueblos the Navajo adopted agricultural techniques and began to practice a mixed agriculture-hunting economy. Although the Mosuo case is ongoing in many respects, it has been changing rapidly under Chinese government policies and, more recently, tourism. The matrifocal family has been defined in slightly different ways but basically it refers to a household where women form the stable core. Most striking is the contrast in the connection between matrilineal descent and authority within residence groups. Also Nayar females underwent two types of marriages, one known as tali-tying and the other known as sambandam, a "joining together" with one or more "visiting husbands".
