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Why was generosity important in the sharing of game and other resources?

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Map of South America and the Caribbean showing the distribution of Aboriginal cultural groups, with regions color-coded by cultural type including Andean, Central American, tropical forest, and various nomadic cultures such as aquatic nomads, forest hunters and gatherers, and shellfish gatherers. Major group names are labeled across the continent and surrounding islands. — South American forest Indian Distribution of aboriginal South American and circum-Caribbean cultural groups.

Among the South American forest Indians, generosity is a highly valued social norm that plays a critical role in the distribution of resources. In these generally egalitarian societies, there is no incentive to accumulate or store goods, as material wealth is not a source of prestige.1

Instead, strict norms govern the sharing of game and other resources among a hunter’s family and the other families with whom they are associated through kinship or social ties. In many cases, the hunter who secures the game may receive only a small portion of the catch, as the remainder is distributed to others. This practice of sharing extends beyond daily subsistence to intertribal relations, where the exchange of gifts is a standard feature of visits and celebrations. By prioritizing collective well-being over individual accumulation, these communities reinforce social solidarity and maintain the cohesion of their groups.1