The Bribri: Background information when reading Saints of the Household

The Bribri

This article relates to Saints of the Household

Like brothers Max and Jay, the protagonists of her debut young adult novel Saints of the Household, author Ari Tison is Bribri American, descended from an Indigenous group native to the Talamanca region of Costa Rica. The characters' grandfather was raised among the Bribri people and their matriarchal society. His gentle, loving nature sits in stark contrast with the brothers' physically and emotionally abusive white American father. Though never heavy-handed, there is obvious commentary here on the idea that patriarchy fosters toxic masculinity, and that different social systems exist.

Though their numbers have declined over time, due to Spanish colonization and modern threats to their land such as commercial development, there are still around 10,000 Bribri people living in Costa Rica. The community, organized into clans, is one of the oldest in the country. Each clan is headed by a woman. All land and private property is also owned by women, passed from one generation to the next. It's the men who must move from one clan to another to find a wife. As such, the birth of a girl is met with much celebration, as it ensures the likely continuation of the clan. Grandmothers and other elder women, meanwhile, are highly regarded for their experience and wisdom. They are tasked with passing on the language and culture.

Much of Bribri culture is based on a close relationship with the land, including agroforestry (a sustainable form of agriculture that preserves biodiversity), as well as community and equality. As Noemy Blanco Salazar, a Bribri matriarch, explains, "We are heirs of life, we have to assume this mission that SIBU {Bribri God} proudly entrusted, with dignity. We must strive to build valuable ways [of being] for society. Mother Earth energy is the force that grows in our spirit." While women are responsible for lineage and property, Bribri creation myths establish the notion that all beings were made equal, and the Bribri language has no equivalent of the personal pronouns "he" and "she," using the same word regardless of gender.

As with many Indigenous peoples, the Bribri's way of life has been threatened by the influence and imposition of modern Western culture. There have been attempts in recent decades in the community to shift power away from women somewhat, and social problems have risen among some of the men — notably alcoholism and domestic violence. In response, women are working together to preserve their agricultural practices and leadership roles. The Association of Indigenous Women of Talamanca (ACOMUITA) was created to highlight women's voices and social issues, and to re-establish them as long-respected figures of the community through traditional values and the production of organic cocoa, as is shown in the video below.

Cocoa grove around an Usure (ceremonial lodge) in the Bribri community of Yorkin, Talamanca, Costa Rica. Photo by Axxis10 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This article relates to Saints of the Household. It first ran in the April 19, 2023 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.