|
|
| (2 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) |
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| − | '''Australian Aboriginal [[kinship]]''' refers to the system of [[law]] governing social interaction, particularly [[marriage]], in traditional Aboriginal culture. It is an integral part of the culture of every [[List of Indigenous Australian group names|Aboriginal group]] across Australia. | + | A '''Waddy''' is an [[Australian Aboriginal]] war club. The word comes from the [[Dharuk]] Aborigines of [[Port Jackson]], [[Sydney]]. |
| | | | |
| − | The main element is the division of [[clan]]s within the same language group into ''skin groups'', or [[moiety|moieties]]. In its simplest form, clans are divided into two skin groups. There may be four divisions (see [[Martu (Indigenous Australian)|Martu]]), while more complex systems can be divided into eight (see [[Pintupi]] and below).
| + | Originally, the word waddy referred to a tree, or any piece of wood, as well as a verb meaning to 'beat up or kill with a club' |
| | | | |
| − | The system dictates who may [[marry]] whom – it is always [[taboo]] to marry into your own skin group – creating strong [[incest]] avoidance laws and strong bonds across [[clan]]s through [[exogamous]] relations. While it can be determined at birth who will marry whom, [[love marriage]]s were not uncommon, so long as they were within the skin system. | + | It has also been spelled as wadi, wady, and waddie. The spelling stabilised around the mid-nineteenth century, partly to help distinguish it from the Arabic word [[wadi]], a dry water course. |
| | | | |
| − | This system is invaluable, especially during [[drought]] or lack of resources, having [[cousin]]s and skin sisters and brothers in other clans. It also creates obligations to care for those people in their time of need. Even in [[Marn Grook|traditional ball games]], teams were divided along these lines.
| + | ==Reference== |
| | + | * Peters, Pam, ''The Cambridge Australian English Style Guide'', Cambridge University Press, 1995, ISBN 0521434017 |
| | | | |
| − | Each skin group has certain [[totem]]s associated with it. Some Aboriginal groups, such as the [[Yolngu]], include plants, animals and all aspects of the environment, as part of their respective skin groups.
| + | {{IndigenousAustralia-stub}} |
| | | | |
| − | A person of the same skin group, of the same generation, is called "brother" or "sister". There are names for maternal aunts and uncles and different names for paternal aunts and uncles. Additionally, there are strong [[Australian Aboriginal avoidance relationships|avoidance relationships]] that need to be observed based on this system.
| + | [[Category:Australian Aboriginal culture]] |
| − | | + | [[Category:Australian Aboriginal terms]] |
| − | ==Some common kinship terms==
| + | [[Category:Australian English]] |
| − | {{main|Australian Aboriginal English}}
| + | [[Category:weapons]] |
| − | | + | [[Category:clubs]] |
| − | *''Aunty'' and ''uncle'' are used as terms of address for older people, to whom the speaker may not be related.
| |
| − | *''Brother'' and ''sister'' include close relatives of the same generation, not just siblings.
| |
| − | *''Cousin'' includes any relative of one's own generation.
| |
| − | *The combinations ''cousin-brother'' and ''cousin-sister'' are used to refer to biological cousins.
| |
| − | *In south-east Queensland, ''daughter'' is used to refer any woman of one's great-grandparents' generation. This is due to the cyclical nature of traditional kinship systems.
| |
| − | *''Father'' and ''mother'' include any relative of one's parents' generation, such as uncles, aunts, and in-laws.
| |
| − | *''Grandfather'' and ''grandmother'' can refer to anyone of one's grandparents' generation. ''Grandfather'' can also refer to any respected elderly man, to whom the speaker may not be related.
| |
| − | *''Poison'' refers to a relation one is obligated to avoid. See ''[[Mother-in-law language]]''.
| |
| − | *The term ''second'', or ''little bit'' in northern Australia, is used with a distant relative who is described using a close kinship term. For example, one's ''second fathers'' or ''little bit fathers'' are men of one's father's generation not closely related to the speaker. It is contrasted with ''close'', ''near'' or ''true''.
| |
| − | *A ''skin'' or ''skin group'' are sections which are determined by the skin of a person's parents, and determine who a person is eligible to marry.
| |
| − | *''Son'' can refer to any male of the next generation, such as nephews.
| |
| − | | |
| − | | |
| − | The skin group classification is [[cyclical]] in nature, changing with each [[generation]]. Non-Aboriginal people are often confounded to hear Aborigines refer to their great-[[grandmother]] as their [[daughter]], or their great-[[grandaughter]] as their mother. They are actually referring to the fact that those relatives are in the same skin group, as well as acknowledging the cyclical nature of the system.
| |
| − | | |
| − | For traditional Aborigines, this system is a major foundation of their existence and way of viewing the world. As such, if a non-Aboriginal person is around their culture for any extended period, they must be [[adoption|adopted]] so they may be assigned a skin name and interact in the "proper way" with the group, knowing whom to avoid, whom to call sister, etc.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Many Aboriginal groups, particularly in the southeast of Australia, have lost this knowledge due to their [[Stolen generation|forced removal]] to [[mission (station)|mission]]s and [[orphanage|children's homes]], where many language groups mixed with each other, and Aboriginal language and cultural practice was forbidden.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Below are a few examples of different kinship systems from across Australia:
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==Systems with two skin groups==
| |
| − | | |
| − | ===Pitjantjatjara===
| |
| − | The [[Pitjantjatjara]] of northern [[South Australia]] have two [[moiety]] groups:
| |
| − | | |
| − | :'''''ngana nt arka''''' (lit. we-bone) 'our side'
| |
| − | :'''''tjanamilytjan''''' (lit. they flesh) 'their side'
| |
| − | | |
| − | However, they do not use skin names.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ===Yolŋu===
| |
| − | For the [[Yolŋu]] of north-east [[Arnhem Land]], life is divided into two skin groups: ''Dhuwa'' and ''Yirritja''. Each of these is represented by people of a number of different groups, each with their own lands, languages and philosophies:
| |
| − | | |
| − | :::{| class="wikitable"
| |
| − | |- bgcolor=#efefef
| |
| − | ! Skin name
| |
| − | ! Clan groups
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''''Yirritja'''''
| |
| − | | Gumatj, Gupapuyngu, Wangurri, Ritharrngu, Mangalili,<br/>Munyuku, Madarrpa, Warramiri, Dhalwangu, Liyalanmirri.
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''''Dhuwa'''''
| |
| − | |Rirratjingu, Galpu, Djambarrpuyngu, Golumala, Marrakulu,<br/>Marrangu, Djapu, Datiwuy, Ngaymil, Djarrwark.
| |
| − | |}
| |
| − | | |
| − | A ''Yirritja'' person must always marry a ''Dhuwa'' person and vice versa. If a man or woman is ''Dhuwa'', their mother will be ''Yirritja''.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Kinship relations are also mapped onto the lands owned by the Yolngu through their [[hereditary]] [[Estate (law)|estates]] – so everything is either ''Yirritja'' or ''Dhuwa'' – every fish, stone, river, etc, belongs to one or the other [[moiety]].
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==Systems with eight skin groups==
| |
| − | | |
| − | ===Lardiil===
| |
| − | The [[Lardiil]] of [[Mornington Island]] in the [[Gulf of Carpentaria]] have eight skin groups, shown here with some of their totems:
| |
| − | {{sectstub}}
| |
| − | ::{| class="wikitable"
| |
| − | |- bgcolor=#efefef
| |
| − | !Male skin group
| |
| − | !Totems
| |
| − | !Can only marry<br/>female skin group
| |
| − | !Children will be
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |Ngarrijbalangi
| |
| − | |''Rainbird, shooting star,<br/>egret''
| |
| − | |Burrarangi
| |
| − | |Bangariny
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |Bangariny
| |
| − | |''Brown hark, turtle''
| |
| − | |Yakimarr
| |
| − | |Ngarrijbalangi
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |Buranyi
| |
| − | |''Crane, salt water, <br/>sleeping turtle''
| |
| − | |Kangal
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |Balyarriny
| |
| − | |''Black tiger shark,<br/>sea turtle''
| |
| − | |Kamarrangi
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |Burrarangi
| |
| − | |''Lightning, rough sea,<br/>black dingo''
| |
| − | |Ngarrijbalangi
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |Yakimarr
| |
| − | |Seagull, barramundi,<br/>grey shark
| |
| − | |Bangariny
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |Kangal
| |
| − | |''[[Barramundi]],<br/>grey shark''
| |
| − | |Buranyi
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |Kamarrangi
| |
| − | |''Rock, pelican, [[brolga]],<br/>red dingo''
| |
| − | |Balyarriny
| |
| − | |
| |
| − | |}
| |
| − | | |
| − | Each Lardiil person belongs to one of these groups. Their paternal [[grandfather]]'s skin group determines their own; so a Balyarriny man or woman will have a Balyarriny grandfather. A Ngarrijbalangi person can only marry a Burrarangi, a Bangariny a Yakimarr, a Buranyi a Kangal and a Balyarriny a Kamarrangi, and vice versa for each.
| |
| − | | |
| − | Once a person's skin group is known, their relationship to any other Lardiil can be determined. A Ngarrijbalangi is a 'father' to a Bangariny, a 'father-in-law' to a Yakimarr and a 'son' to another Bangariny, either in a social sense or purely through linearship.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ===Pintupi===
| |
| − | The [[Pintupi]] of the [[Western Desert (Australia)|Western Desert]] also have eight skin groups, it is made more complex by distinct prefixes for male and female skin names; "Tj" for males, "N" for females. The [[Warlpiri]] system is almost the same:
| |
| − | | |
| − | :::{| class="wikitable"
| |
| − | |- bgcolor=#efefef
| |
| − | !Gender
| |
| − | !Skin name
| |
| − | !First marriage</br> preference
| |
| − | !Children will be
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Male'''
| |
| − | |Tjapaltjarri
| |
| − | |Nakamarra
| |
| − | |Tjungurrayi, Nungurrayi
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Female'''
| |
| − | |Napaltjarri
| |
| − | |Tjakamarra
| |
| − | |Tjupurrula, Napurrula
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Male'''
| |
| − | |Tjapangati
| |
| − | |Nampitjinpa
| |
| − | |Tjapanangka, Napanangka
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Female'''
| |
| − | |Napangati
| |
| − | |Tjampitjinpa
| |
| − | |Tjangala, Nangala
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Male'''
| |
| − | |Tjakamarra
| |
| − | |Napaltjarri
| |
| − | |Tjupurrula, Napurrula
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Female'''
| |
| − | |Nakamarra
| |
| − | |Tjapaltjarri
| |
| − | |Tjungurrayi, Nungurrayi
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Male'''
| |
| − | |Tjampitjinpa
| |
| − | |Napangati
| |
| − | |Tjangala, Nangala
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Female'''
| |
| − | |Nampitjinpa
| |
| − | |Tjapangati
| |
| − | |Tjapanangka, Napanangka
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Male'''
| |
| − | |Tjapanangka
| |
| − | |Napurrula
| |
| − | |Tjapangati, Napangati
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Female'''
| |
| − | |Napanangka
| |
| − | |Tjupurrula
| |
| − | |Tjakamarra, Nakamarra
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Male'''
| |
| − | |Tjungurrayi
| |
| − | |Nangala
| |
| − | |Tjapaltjarri, Napaltjarri
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Female'''
| |
| − | |Nungurrayi
| |
| − | |Tjangala
| |
| − | |Tampitjinpa, Nampitjinpa
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Male'''
| |
| − | |Tjupurrula
| |
| − | |Napanangka
| |
| − | |Tjakamarra, Nakamarra
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Female'''
| |
| − | |Napurrula
| |
| − | |Tjapanangka
| |
| − | |Tjapangati, Napangati
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Male'''
| |
| − | |Tjangala
| |
| − | |Nungurrayi
| |
| − | |Tjampitjinpa, Nampitjinpa
| |
| − | |-
| |
| − | |'''Female'''
| |
| − | |Nangala
| |
| − | |Tjungarayyi
| |
| − | |Tjapaltjarri, Napaltjarri
| |
| − | |}
| |
| − | | |
| − | Each person therefore has a [[patriline|patrimoiety]] and a [[matriline|matrimoiety]], a father's and a mother's skin group.
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==See also==
| |
| − | *[[Australian Aboriginal avoidance relationships]]
| |
| − | *[[Australian Aboriginal English]]
| |
| − | *[[List of Indigenous Australian group names]]
| |
| − | *[[Noongar classification]]
| |
| − | *[[Indigenous Australians]]
| |
| − | *[[Warlpiri#kinship|Warlpiri kinship]]
| |
| − | | |
| − | ==References==
| |
| − | *Binnion, Joan (1979) ''The Lardil People of Mornington Island (Student Handbook)'', Aboriginal Community College, Port Adelaide.
| |
| − | *Hansen, Kenneth C. and Lesley E. Hansen, 1979, ''Pintupi/Luritja kinship'', Alice Springs, NT, Institute for Aboriginal Development.
| |
| − | *[http://ausanthrop.net/research/kinship/ Ausanthrop kinship tutorial]
| |
| − | *[http://www.ausanthrop.net/research/kinship/kinship2.php Ausanthrop]
| |
| − | *[http://www.clc.org.au/ourculture/kinship.asp Central Land Council]
| |
| − | | |
| − | [[Category:Australian Aboriginal culture|Kinship]] | |
| − | [[Category:Anthropology|Australian Aboriginal kinship]] | |
| − | [[Category:Sociology|Australian Aboriginal Kinship]] | |
| − | [[Category:Indigenous Australians|Kinship]] | |
| − | [[Category:Marriage|Australian Aboriginal Kinship]] | |
| − | [[Category:Australian Aboriginal terms|Kinship]]
| |
