Mavean traditions and ceremonies

Mavean traditions and ceremonies, encompassing the lived way of life belonging to the Mavean people, have evolved and developed over time. It has been influenced by several external factors, including waves of migration and colonisation; today there are official efforts to protect, promote, and celebrate this culture in Mava and overseas.

Social structure

Hierarchy

Leadership

Historically, Mavean society at all levels was governed through a strict hierarchy. Prior to the centralisation of the population in the area of modern-day Paas, there was no single leadership for all Maveans. Separate groups scattered across northern Maava Illit each had their own community leaders, selected by various methods, ranging from heredity to public election. The lack of a single, centralised leadership enabled the Atitlanese to more effectively subdue the islands, pitting local leaders against one another.

As Ariza (now Paas) became more developed as the largest settlement and centre of the islands' economic output, more and more Maveans abandoned their semi-nomadic lives and settled permanently in the town. Many local leaders themselves moved to Ariza, being compelled to negotiate with each other on the distribution of power. Old hierarchies, therefore, gradually amalgamated as a new generation of leaders took on the duty of representing indigenous Maveans. By the turn of the twentieth century, there was a stable indigenous leadership responsible to a group of elders who, themselves, derived authority from previous community leaders.

The establishment of an elected, accountable Mava Council was instrumental in undermining and, finally, eliminating much of the authority that traditional leaders enjoyed. However, its composition, until recently, continued to reflect the hierarchical allocation of power, with councillors invariably having existing authority within the social hierarchy.

Class distinctions

Class in Mava is not as fixed by birth as in other societies; responsibility to the local community and what those responsibilities involved determine ones place within the hierarchy. Generally, women and children were situated at the bottom of the hierarchy, consigned to domestic work and supporting their husbands and fathers in their work. This did not preclude women from exerting authority, particularly those who provided medical services, but the majority were formally regarded as domestic servants first and foremost, having little power in their own right.

The most well-regarded occupations and responsibilities are those centred around the provision of key services. Doctors, lawyers, and teachers are considered elite occupations, their status further strengthened by the (until recently) small number of people occupying these positions. Who they serve also determines their social position; doctors treating the poor (particularly without a fee) are considered socially inferior to doctors treating the rich; those who predominately teach women are considered inferior to those who mostly teach men. As such, although the hierarchy is rigid, it is more flexible than other comparable class systems, although obstacles still often prevent people from achieving a higher status.

See also

• Mava