[Xmca-l] Re: kinship

[White, Phillip]

Martin, many decades ago while teaching elementary school, i taught a unit on the Native American Crow Nation (Sacajawea was a member of that nation.)  at the time i was struck by their kinship system which was described through the lens of western european kinship systems - and i've always wondered how a member of the Crow nation would describe it.


i check at Wikipedia, and this is what that site has: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crow_kinship

Crow kinship - Wikipedia<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crow_kinship>
en.wikipedia.org
Crow kinship is a kinship system used to define family. Identified by Lewis Henry Morgan in his 1871 work Systems of Consanguinity and Affinity of the Human Family ...



otherwise, from Encyclopaedia.com i pulled this up:

Kin Groups and Descent. The Crow maintain a matrilineal clan structure with thirteen named clans. The clans are grouped into six unnamed and loosely organized phratries as well as into two primary bands, the Mountain and River divisions, along with a third minor band, the Kicked-in-the-Bellies. The bands are composed of all thirteen clans. Within the clans and extending into the phratry and band groups, members recognize mutual obligations to assist one another.

Kinship Terminology. A "Crow kinship" system is practiced. Cross-generational equivalence is extended to the males in both the matrilineal clan ("older" and "younger brothers") and the father's mother's clan ("fathers"), while sisters within the matrilineal clan are classified as "mothers. " The aassahke ("fathers" or "clan uncles") continue to provide a pivotal kinship relationship. A clan uncle is any male member of the father's mother's clan. Such individuals are to be respected like "medicine, " with gifts of food and blankets provided to them during give-aways. In turn, aassahke bestow on a child an "Indian name, " sing "praise songs" for one's accomplishments, and offer protective prayers.

________________________________
From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu <xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu> on behalf of Martin Packer <mpacker@cantab.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 7, 2018 12:59:04 PM
To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity
Subject: [Xmca-l] kinship

I am struggling with the way ‘family’ and ‘kinship’ have been defined, or not defined, in psychology and anthropology. One question that has occurred to me is whether a word equivalent to ‘family’ exists in every language. When I Google this, Google responds ‘Ask Siri’…  :(

Anyone have an idea?

Martin