- Animism: Belief that spirits inhabit animals, plants, and objects.
- Shamans: Spiritual healers and connectors with the spirit world.
- Ceremonies: Rituals and celebrations to appease spirits and gods.
Social Structure:
- Matrilineal Societies: Lineage and inheritance traced through the mother's line.
Cultural Expressions:
- Art: Rock carvings, pottery, woven textiles, basketry.
- Music and Dance: Use of drums, rattles, and flutes for cultural melodies and dances.
- Storytelling: Oral tradition of passing knowledge through narratives and myths.
Agriculture and Subsistence:
- Slash and Burn: Method used for farming, clearing land by burning.
- Root Crops: Main source of food, especially cassava, sweet potatoes.
- Fishing and Hunting: Men engaged in fishing and hunting.
Marriage and Family:
- Polygamy: Some Arawak societies allowed men to have multiple wives.
- Exogamy: Marriage outside of one's own social or kin group.
Language:
- Arawakan Language Family: Shared linguistic roots among different Arawakan tribes.