The Social System

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The Lakota Social System

By Victor Douville

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The Lakota Social System

By Victor Douville

Copyright © 2006 By Victor Douville Published By Sinte Gleska

University No part of this work can be copied

without permission

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The System

All social systems strive to create better society members by nurturing its members with values designed to promote an ideal world to live in. Thus rules and order to achieve this goal are set up to guide its members.

The Lakota society attempts to achieve its similar goal by setting up time honored values based on respect and harmony or wolakota.

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Family Support Systems

Social Units (slide 9) Marriage Control and Regulation (10) Ways of Acquiring a Mate (11) Marriage and Courting (12) The Marriage and the family (13) Divorce or Separation (14 & 15) Analysis of the Marriage System (16 -18)

(Continued)

CONTENTS

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Support Systems

Possible Origin of the Term Wakanyeja (19-21) The Symbols (22) Basic English Kin Terms and Anthropological

Abbreviations (23 & 24) Comparing English System with the Lakota (25) The Four Kin Classification Systems (26 & 27) Six Sister-Cousin & Brother-Cousin

Classification (28-31)

(Continued)

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Support Systems

Interpreting the Four Kin Classifications (32) Interpreting the Peer Collateral Kin and Their

Relationship to the Siblings of the Nuclear Family (33)

Distribution of the 4 Kin Classifications (34) Wowahecon- Nuclear Family (35) Wowahecon- Lineal Family (36) Wowahecon- Collateral Family (37) Wowahecon- Affinal Family (38)

(Continued)

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Support Systems

Status Terms for Daughters/Sons (39) Seating Protocol of Sons (40) Plural Family Terms and Others (41) Non Kin Terms (42) Codes of Respect (43) Lakota Kinship Codes of Behavior (44) Wowahecon-Lakota Kinship Terms (Male)

(45) (Continued)

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Support Systems-Continued

(Female Terms) (46) The Bifurcate Merging System (47) Kin Terming System (48) Kin Behavioral Patterns (49) Significant Historical Analysis of Some

Lakota Terms (50) Use of Family and Kin Symbols (51) Assessment of the Social System (52-53)

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Social Units Tiwahe (household) is the

Smallest Unit-The Ate is the head

Tiospaye (extended family) is the next smallest-The Naca is the head

Ospaye (band) is the second largest unit-Itancan is head

Oyate (nation) is the largest unit- The Wicasa Yatapika is the nominal head of this unit

Oyate

Ospaye

Tiospaye

Tiwahe

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Marriage and the Family: Control and Regulation

The Tiospaye exerts the greatest influence to help choose the right mate

The Tiwahe exerts the next greatest influence to help select the might mate

The couple usually submits to the choices made

Tiospaye

Tiwahe

The Couple

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Marriage and the Family: Ways of Acquiring a Mate

A Dowry is offered by male spouse to be

Male/female offer live in service instead of dowry

Infant is offered for marr-iage before adulthood

Captive women are wed Marrying sisters by

widower Marrying brothers by widow Runaway to wed

Bride Price or Bride Wealth

Bride or Suitor Service

Infant or Child Betrothal

Capture Sororate Levirate Elopement

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Marriage and Courting

Courting is initiated by the male and supervised by elder kin

Male proposes through a “go between”-best friend

Female responds by her ‘go between”-a hakata

The intercessors and the familes of both parties interact until the goal is successfully accomplish-ed

Courting Starts

Proposal

Mediation

Response

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Traditional Relationships and Marriage

Courtesy of Seth Eastman painting from Afton Historical Society Press, Afton, MN

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The Procedures

Apply social behavioral practices and respect Observe rules of exogamy The time to court The place to court Observe rules of directly engaging possible

mate and kin by observing protocol

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Rule of Gender Separation at Adolescence

Adolescence milestone is near maturation for the Lakota, a critical time

Achievement of adolescence requires separation of genders-girls go together and boys congregate together

Gender separation requires that cross gender meetings and activities are controlled and become formalized or cut off, except for courting and family members

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Observe Rules of ExogamyDo not court or marry all of the ones you address with a suffix ending in SI:

Leksi for females Hankasi for males Uncisi for males Tunkasi for females Sice’esi for females Takos for males/females

(All members who can be traced to a common ancestor)

Exemption rules only apply to fourth or fifth cousins or beyond the fifth cousin, they are generally not known

(It is an incest to marry someone who has a common grandparent)

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Time for Courting

There are rules for social planning When the couples are mature During social gathering, especially during the

fall or summer (when larger divisions gather) When families let it be known that their

daughters/granddaughters are ready

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Cincaton Okihi Kagapi

Puberty rites for females are called “coming out”or becoming a woman-the following are three puberty rites

Tapa Wankal Iyeyapi- throwing of the ball

Tatanka Awicalowan- pi- buffalo sing

Isnala Awicalowanpi- singing over her aloneCourtesy of Lakota Studies

collection of Anderson photos

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Tapa Wankal Iyeyapi

Throwing of the Ball rite symbolizes that a girl now becomes a women

Buffalo hide balls are painted red and when appropriate, they are thrown into a crowd of young boys

Feast is given This symbolizes they are

eligible to wed

For each ball thrown a gift is given to the young boy who catches it. The gift is usually a horse

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Tatanka Awicalowanpi

The Buffalo Sing Over Her rites are songs ev- oking the spirit of the female buffalo which embodies generosity and feminine powers of Unci Maka

This is also a reminder to observe the moral & social laws brought by the White Buffalo Calf WomanCourtesy of Lakota Studies collection of

Anderson photos

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Place for Courtship

At appropriate places that are isolated but within view of guardians or in front of the wooed female’s tipi

During social dances Never when either mate is participating in a

particular ceremony

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Mato Paha (Bear Butte)

Bear Butte is a special place where people go to hold special ceremonies because this place is wakan and exudes power. It is a place where couples go to make social plans to have special children, it is said that couples go here to have twins. If the intent and ceremonies are sincere, then the gift of twins is given. It is a difficult life to have twins.

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Observe Rules of Protocol

Never go directly to parents or grandparents to initiate courting or marriage

Females use a go between called a hakata Males use their best friend to initiate the

contact

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Marriage and the Family: The Marriage Ceremony

The Lakota never institutionalized marriage, there was no lavish ceremony, no priest or Justice of Peace to preside over the marriage, no public vows, no ring exchange and no consecration or marriage blessings.

Marriage was sealed by a gift exchange or bridal dowry, a feast and a public announce-ment of marriage

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Marriage and the Family: Divorce or Separation Divorce or separation was a rarity If divorce or separation is contemplated the

children are carefully considered When divorce or separation occurs, the

children who are under age, go with mother Under special circumstances children are

allowed to chose who and where they want to stay, temporarily or permanently

(Continued)

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Marriage and the Family: Divorce or Separation

Normally the boys go with the father and the girls go with the mother

Children are always under the care of the extended family-they protect, nurture and help rear the children, whenever possible

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Analysis of the Marriage System

The extended family controlled and regulated marriage because they, as a whole, had gen- erations to experience marriage and its out- comes

The extended family, armed with this experi- ence, could see the long range impacts of marriage on the married couple and the family

(continued)

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Analysis of the Marriage System - continued

Individuals, from a conservative family upbringing, accepted the extended family’s choice of who they can marry, while a few rejected this and paid the price

Individuals, from a liberal family upbringing, often defied their family and extended family and took a chance, these few achieved success while a majority failed in their marriage

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Continued

Success of the marriage and family was based on consensus regarding major decision making

Success of marriage was also based on mutuality of relationships within the family

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Reflections on Traditional RelationshipsThe missionaries and federal government tried to curb and eliminate traditional courting and marriage by encouraging the Lakota to learn the non Indian system of lifestyle.

When this was ineffective, the federal government imposed hardship on the Lakota to acculturate. By 1928, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, under severe duress, outlawed traditional Lakota marriage (restored back in 1980’s). The courting process changed to allow more freedom for the individual couples to choose who they wanted to marry. Thus the traditional pro-cedures for courting and marriage shifted to a more liberal way of doing things. The result of this can be seen plainly today. More immature couples are in charge of relationship and abuse of courting and marriage takes place. The loss of family control of marriage added to this shows that the Lakota are in dire straits. There is a great need for social reform

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The Possible Origin of The Term Wakanyeja/Wakanheja Long ago, the Inca empire sacrificed their children

(waka) to create a great empire. (This term means a messenger of a lineage who appeals to the great Inca deity to allow the Inca empire to exist and flourish.) The Inca Emperor felt that the deity would reverse the prophesy of the destruction of their empire by sending pure innocent messeng- ers to walk the Ghost Trail to plead their case.

History showed that the deity probably were dis- pleased by this action and allowed the terrible destruction of their empire to occur when the Conquistadores came and put an abrupt end to the Inca empire. (Destruction would occur 800 years after 650 AD, the exact date of Pizzaro’s coming)

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Continued The kingdoms of the Inca, Maya and Aztecs

who practiced human sacrifice collapsed with the coming of the Spaniards. The in- fluence of these kingdoms spread northward and soon this practice spread to the mound building cultures that impacted all of the eastern tribes of the United States, including the Lakota.

The majority of the tribes discontinued hu- man sacrifice and turned to other forms of ritual sacrifice to pray to the spiritual powers

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Continued The Lakota, like most tribes, refused to create em-

pires with dictatorial emperors and pledged never to harm their children like the Inca had done. So they declared the children as wakanyeja and vowed never to strike or physically harm them, lest their minds and spirits are forced to return to the Wanagi Tacanku (Ghost Trail).

The term Wakanyeja is closely related to the Inca term waka (lineage messenger). Waka with kinyan (Wakinyan) means the sacred winged one. Winged ones can soar to the sky and they come into com- munication with the spiritual powers. Hence, a Wakinyan is a messenger to the spiritual powers.

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The Symbols

Circle = Female Triangle = Male = Marriage I Vertical line = Lineage __ Horizontal line = siblings Blue Triangle = Ego or Myself (one

who creates the diagram)

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Basic English Kin Terms and Anthropological Abbreviations

Aunt…….FaSi, FaBrWi, MoSi, MoBrWi Brother…………………………………Br Brother-in-law………………SiHu, WiBr Cousin-FaBrDa, FaBrSo, FaSiDa, FaSiSo,

MoBrda, MoBrS, MoSiDa, MoSiSo Daughter…………………………….…Da Daughter-in-law…………………....SoWi Father…………………………………..Fa Father-in-law……………….HuFa, WiFa Granddaughter……………..DaDa, SoDa Grandfather……………...…FaFa, MoFa

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CONTINUED Grandmother………..……FaMo, MoMo Grandson……………..…...…DaSo, SoSo Husband………………..………...……Hu Mother……………………………..….Mo Mother-in-law………….…HuMo, WiMo Nephew……………………….BrSo, SiSo Niece………………………….BrDa,SiDa Sister…………………………………....Si Sister-in-law………………...BrWi, WiSi Son……………………………………...So Son-in-law…………………….……DaHu Uncle……FaBr, FaSiHu, Mobr, MoSiHu Wife…………………………………….Wi

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Comparing the English System with the Lakota

English System has 23 basic kin terms that can be combined to form 46 overall terms

These 23 basic terms can be divided into 15 kin or genetic relatives and 8 affinal relatives

Lakota System has about 59 basic terms for kin and at least 10 more supplemental terms

These basic terms can be divided into 46 kin or genetic relatives and 13 Affinal relatives

Today the Lakota only retain 42 or less terms

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Kin Classification Systems: Mother-Aunt Terms

EGO EGO

EGO EGO

LINEAL GENERATION

*BIFURCATE MERGING BIFURCATE COLLATERAL

INA INA

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Kin Classification Systems: Father-Uncle Terms

EGO EGO

EGO EGO

LINEAL

GENERATION

BIFURCATE COLLATERAL

*BIFURCATE MERGING

ATE ATE

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6 Sister-Cousin Classifications ESKIMO

HAWAIIAN

IROQUOIS

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Sister-Cousin Class. (Continued)CROW

OMAHA

QUICHE MAYA

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6 Brother-Cousin Classifications ESKIMO

HAWAIIAN

IROQUOIS

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Brother-Cousin Class. (Cont.)CROW

OMAHA

QUICHE MAYA

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Interpreting the 4 Kin Classifications

Lineal-recognizes the lineal kin (Mo and Fa) as different from the collateral (MoSi-FaSi & MoBr-FaBr) relatives, and applies two terms for each set

Generation-uses one term each to cover the collateral (MoSi-FaSi & MoBr-FaBr) and the lineal (Mo & Fa) kin

Bifurcate Collateral-recognizes 3 branches of 2 sets of kin (MoBr, FaBr & Fa and MoSi & FaSi, & Mo ) and applies three terms for each set

Bifurcate Merging-recognizes 3 branches of kin (the Mo & MoSi, Fa & FaBr, and FaSi & MoBr kin) and has three terms each

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Interpreting the Peer Collateral Kin and Their Relationship to Siblings of the Nuclear Kin

Brothers and Sisters are called siblings Parallel Cousins-are the father’s brother’s

and mother’s sister’s children-they are merged together and called brothers and sisters

Cross Cousins-are the mother’s brother’s and father’s sister’s children-they are separated and called cousins

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Distribution of the 4 Kin Classifications

Lineal Generation Bifurcate Collateral Bifurcate Merging Overlapping of the four

types

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Wowahecon-Nuclear FamilyMALE FEMALE EQUIVALENT

Ate Same FatherIna Same MotherTawicu Wife

Higna Husband

Ciye Tiblo Older BrotherMisunka Same Younger Brother

Tanke Cuwe Older SisterCinksi Same SonCunksi Same Daughter

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Wowahecon-Lineal Family

Tunkan Same GrandfatherTunkasila Same Grandfather (FaFa) Tunkansi Same Grandfather (MoFa) Unci Same GrandmotherKunsi Same Grandmother (FaMo)Uncisi Same Grandmother (MoMo)

Takoja Same Grandchild Wicatakoja Same GrandsonWinotakoja Same Grandaughter

MALE FEMALE EQUIVALENT

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Leksi

MALE FEMALE EQUIVALENT

Same UncleTonwin Same Aunt

Tonska Toska Nephew

Tonjan Tojan Niece

Tanhansi Sice’si Male Cousin

Hankasi Scepansi Female Cousin

Continued

Wowahecon-Collateral Family

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Wowahecon-Affinal Family

Tunkansi Same Father-in-law

Uncisi Same Mother-in-law

Takos Same Son-in law/ Daughter-in-law

Wicawoha Same Son-law-law

Wiwoha Same Daughter-in law

Tanhan Sice’ Brother-in law

Hanka Scepan Sister-in-law

Omawahiton Omahiton HuPa/Wi Pa

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StatusTerms for Daughters/Sons

SON DAUGHTER

*Tokape....(1st born) *Witokape…..(1st born) Hepan…..(2nd born) Hapan……...(2nd born) Hepi……..(3rd born) Hepistanna..(3rd born) Catan……(4th born) Wanska…….(4th born) Hake…….(5th born) Wihake……..(5th born) Hakakta...(last born) Hakakta…… (last born)

*sometimes Caske is used, this is Santee *sometimes Winona is used, this is Santee

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Seating Protocol of Sons

Water

1

Catku-Ate

Tokape

Hepan

Hepi Catan

HakeHakakta

Tiopa-door

Tipi poles

2

3

4 5

6 7

wifewater

fire wood

1

fire place

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Plural Family Terms and Other

Bluze -----husband of polygynous wife Miteyak --sororal wife Teyak -----non sororal wife Winu –----captured wife (from enemy tribe) Tawagan-step son/daughter

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Non Kin Terms

Kola ---friend (male term) Maske -friend (female) Mase --close friend or brother-in-law (male) Wase --close friend or sister-in-law (female) Lakota -ally or friend (as a group) Tokeca -stranger Toka -----enemy

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Codes of Respect

Avoid direct eye contact Avoid inappropriate physical contact Avoid excessive and unnecessary talk Assume a demure and respectful appearance

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Lakota Kinship Codes of Behavior

BEHAVIOR RELATIONSHIP

Complete Avoidance Father-in-law & Daughter-in law Mother-in-law & Son-in-law

Partial Avoidance Male & Sister, Male & Female Cousin Female & Brother, Female & Male Cousin

Joking & Teasing Brother-in-law & Sister-in-law Brother-in-law & Brother-in-Law Sister-in-law & Sister-in Law

Reserve & Respect Aunt & Niece Uncle & Nephew

Love & Devotion Brother to Brother & Sister to Sister

Tenderness & Affection Father to Son & Mother to DaughterFather to Daughter-Formal Mother to Son-Formal

Intimacy Husband to Wife

Gentle & Open Grandfather/Grandmother to Grandchildren

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WOWAHECON - LAKOTA KIN TERMS: MALE PATERNAL SIDE MATERNAL SIDE Tunkasila K unsi Tunkansi Uncisi Tunkan K un Tunkan Unci

Tonwin Ate Leksi Tonwin Ate Ina Tunkasi Uncisi Leksi Tonwin Ina Leksi

Tanksi Hankasi Hanka Misun Tanhan Tanksi Miye Mitawicu Tanhan Hankasi Tanksi Tanke Misun Tanhansi Ciye Tanke Hanka Tanhansi Misun Tanke Ciye Ciye

Cinksi Cunksi Tonska Tonjan Takos Cunksi Cinksi Takos Wicawoha Wiwoha (Wino)Takoja (Wino) Takoja (Wica)Takoja (Wica)Takoja

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WOWAHECON: FEMALE TERMS

MATERNAL SIDE PATERNAL SIDE Uncisi Tunkansi K unsi Tunkasila Unci Tunka K un Tunkan

Leksi Ina Tonwin Leksi Uncisi Tunkansi Ina Ate Tonwin Leksi Ate Tonwin

Tanka Scepansi Sic’e Mihigna Miye Tanka Sic’e Tiblo Scepan Scepansi Cuwe Cuwe Tiblo Sic’esi Scepan Cuwe Misun Sic’esi T iblo Tanka Misun Misun

Wiwoha Cinksi Cunksi Takos Cinksi Tojan Toska Cunksi (Wica) Takoja (Wino) Takoja (Wino) Takoja (Wica) Takoja

RED = LINEAL + NUCLEAR FAMILY ORANGE = COLLATERAL FAMILY GREEN = AFFINAL FAMILY

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The Bifurcate Merging System

Eliminates Orphans Supports Clan System Parallel cousins are recognized (Fa Br and

Mo Si children) and merged with family

Supports Levirate marriage (female marry-ing her deceased husbands brother)

Supports Sororate marriage (male marry-ing his deceased wife’s sister)

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Kin Terming System

The key to determining behavior pattern is found in the suffix of the term for kin (si)

Identifies four sets of grandparents – MoMo, FaMo, MoFa and FaFa

The suffix of kin term can reveal that the Lakota once had cross cousin marriage(si)

Promotes exogamy Eliminates child abuse and incest

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Kin Behavior Patterns

Has seven sets of relationships and one that is designed especially for the grandparents and their grandchildren (gentle and open)

Has two sets of extreme relationships that are opposite each other (joking and teasing & complete avoidance) with the remaining sets of relationships sandwiched between them

Behavioral rules eliminates sex abuse and child abuse

Is designed to promote Wolakota-that is living in peace and harmony

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Significant Historical Analysis of Some Lakota Kin Terms

Analysis reveals that the Lakota have traces of cross cousin marriage -Hanka and Hankasi are male terms for female cousin and sister-in-law respectively -If the suffix si is removed from Hankasi then both female cousin and sister-in-law are combined to a single term, Hanka -both kin would then be eligible for marriage under the clan system because they would have different clan signs (one cannot marry anyone bearing the same clan sign)(woodland tribes employed this) -this ended with the termination of the clan system

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Use of Family and Kin Symbols

The use of symbols is the best way to show the number and relationships of kin, especially when a large volume of kin or relatives are displayed

The use of anthropological abbreviations is the best method of entering terms and geneology for recording a large volume of kin backed by an organized method

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Assessment of the Social System

The Lakota Social System started out as a clan social organization with emphasis on the blood kin membership in the woodland cultural zone and made a transition from this to a prairie-woodland zone and ultimately to a plains system. Each time the Lakota shifted their lifestyle to each zone, they honed this lifestyle to what each zone offered. The plains kinship system became the perfect system.

Today, there are no cultural zones or friendly environmental systems to help the transition of the

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Continued

Lakota to a type of lifestyle that suited them, instead it is a trouble way of life forced upon them by the dominant society. Despite this forced acculturation imposed on the Lakota and other Indian tribes, the family system is struggling to regain some of the values that held them together.

The future looks brighter because the Lakota have withstood the hardships and that has not killed them but made them stronger and more determined to survive.

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Hecegla