Final answer:
The Navajo and the Nayar had different kinship systems and gender roles. The Nayar practiced a matrilineal system, while the Navajo traced their descent through their mothers and grandmothers. Nayar women held significant economic and political power, while Navajo women played crucial roles in the establishment of both family and society.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Navajo and the Nayar were different with respect to kinship and gender. While the Nayar practiced a matrilineal system where descent and inheritance were traced through the mother's line, the Navajo traced their descent and inheritance through their mothers and grandmothers, making them a matrilineal society. Additionally, the roles of women in the two societies differed, with the Nayar women holding significant economic and political power, while Navajo women played crucial roles in the establishment of both family and society.
In the Nayar society, women had control over property and had the right to divorce. They formed households called ''taravads,'' which were large extended families, and the eldest woman within each taravad held the most authority. Leadership positions were also occupied by women. On the other hand, Navajo women were deeply respected and in charge of essential aspects of tribal life such as farming and the home. While Navajo society acknowledged the matrilocal residence as the ideal, the actual practices of families depended on their specific circumstances and might change over time.
Overall, the Navajo and the Nayar had different kinship systems and gender roles, with the Nayar society exhibiting more economic and political power for women compared to the Navajo society.