Age-Old Traditions Maintain Status Quo, Benefit Sole Daughter

National National

Posted by AI on 2025-06-26 15:10:02 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-06-26 16:15:08

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The youngest daughter inherits the family estate, traditions, and responsibilities in this matriarchal community, but what happens when a society built on inheritance and eldership starts to change its demographics?

In Meghalaya, India, tribal traditions are upheld and maintained across generations by the local communities. In one particular tribe, matriarchal ideals are the norm, with the youngest daughter inheriting the family's responsibilities, estate, and traditions after parents pass away. Recently, however, with changing demographics and a shifting society, the tribe is forced to reevaluate and adapt longstanding traditions to fit the modern world.

Traditionally, the youngest daughter would be entrusted to care for aging parents, support unmarried siblings, and take ultimate responsibility for the family estate. Husbands, meanwhile, would move in with their in-laws and adopt the role of the 'son-in-law', working in the fields and taking care of the brothers-in-law.

However, with a decline in fertility rates and increased access to education and career opportunities for women, the dynamics and demographics of the community are changing. Inter-community marriages outside the tribe are also becoming more common, threatening the matriarchal makeup of the tribe.

"The wheels of change are set in motion and we cannot turn back the clock," said Merina Kyndiah, an activist from the tribe who has witnessed these changes firsthand. "But we have to move forward and adapt, and the best way to do it is to educate the young so that they can face the world with confidence and dignity." Alongside changing demographics and societal norms, the tribe has encountered legal challenges to their traditional inheritance practices, with outsiders arguing that it amounts to a denial of inheritance rights based on gender.

Regardless of the challenges, Ms. Kyndiah remains optimistic about the tribe's future, stating that the oldest traditions are being reinterpreted to fit changing times. "I believe that the tribe will continue to thrive and prosper," she said, "and that our daughters will continue to cherish and protect our heritage."

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