Publication Date

Spring 5-18-2025

Abstract

This paper explores the processes of personhood in lowland Amazonia and specifically, Kichwa-speaking communities in Ecuador. In lowland Amazonia, personhood is developed through a multitude of social processes in contrast to the Western perception of birth as the defining moment of personhood. As noted in the current literature, an infants' personhood emerges through their relationships with family and community This thesis investigates whether a similar process exists among Kichwa speakers. While Kichwa infants undergo processes akin to their lowland Amazonian neighbors, such as body manipulation and food taboos, shared breath, often through speech, is vital to the ebbs and flows of personhood. This shared breath connects generations and fosters relationships between humans and the nonhuman environment, which is integral to the survival and thriving of the human ayllu and the processual attainment of personhood for infants and children.

Keywords

Runa, Kichwa, Quichua, Ecuador, Amazon, Personhood, Speech, Breath

Document Type

Thesis

Language

English

Degree Name

Ethnology

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

Anthropology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Suzanne Oakdale

Second Committee Member

Joshua Shapero

Third Committee Member

Les Field

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