Difference between revisions of "AY Honors/Aboriginal Lore/Answer Key"

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'''Marn Grook''' (also spelt ''marngrook'') is an [[Australian Aborigine|Australian Aboriginal]] ball game, which is claimed to have had an influence on the modern game of [[Australian rules football]], most notably in the spectacular jumping and [[Mark (Australian football)|high marking]] exhibited by the players of both games.
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'''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.
  
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Marn Grook, literally meaning "Game ball",  was a traditional game played at gatherings and celebrations of up to 50 players by the [[Djabwurrung]] and [[Jardwadjali]] people of western [[Victoria, Australia|Victoria]].
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The main element is the division of [[clan]]s within the same language group into ''skin groups'', or  [[moiety|moieties]]. The simplest system involves division into two skin groups. There can be four divisions, while more complex systems are divided into eight groups.
  
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== Eye-witness accounts ==
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The system dicates 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. It is often determined at birth who will marry whom. This can prove invaluable 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.
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In [[1878]] in his book ''The Aborigines of Victoria'' [[Robert Brough-Smyth]] refers to a man called Richard Thomas (the [[Protector of Aborigines]]) who stated that in about [[1841]] he had witnessed Aborigines playing the game:
 
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:''The men and boys joyfully assemble when this game is to be played. One makes a ball of possum skin, somewhat elastic, but firm and strong. The players of this game do not throw the ball as a white man might do, but drop it and at the same time kicks it with his foot. The tallest men have the best chances in this game. Some of them will leap as high as five feet from the ground to catch the ball. The person who secures the ball kicks it. This continues for hours and the natives never seem to tire of the exercise.''
 
  
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[[Tom Wills]], who drew up the rules of Australian rules football, was raised in Victoria's western districts and is said to have regularly played with local Aboriginal children{{fact}}. He recalled watching a game in which they kicked a [[possum]] skin about the size of an orange stuffed with charcoal{{citation needed}}. The game was played between large groups on a [[totemic]] basis &mdash; the white [[cockatoo]]s versus the black cockatoos, for example &mdash; with the greatest honour going to those who could leap or kick the highest.
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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.
  
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== Marn grook and the word ''mark'' ==
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A person of the same skin group, of the same generation, is called "brother" or "sister". There are also names for maternal aunts and uncles and paternal aunts and uncles.
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Some claim that the origin of the word "[[Mark (Australian football)|mark]]", part of the rules since 1858 is derived from the Aboriginal word "''mumarki''" used in Marn Grook meaning "to catch"<ref>http://www.footystamps.com/ot_early_history.htm</ref><ref>http://www.aboriginalfootball.com.au/marngrook.html</ref>.  However many believe that this is a [[false etymology]] and that the term ''mark'' instead came from the practice of a player who has just taken a mark physically ''marking'' the ground with his foot to show where he took the [[fair catch]]{{fact}}. The term ''to mark'' is used in English football codes since the 1830s, notably early [[Association Football]] and is still used in the sport of [[rugby union]], as a fair catch to a player who calls "mark" when catching a ball inside his 22.
 
  
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== The Marngrook Trophy ==
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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]] their mother. They are actually referring to the fact that both those relatives are in the same skin groups.
  
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In [[2002]], in a game at [[Stadium Australia]], the [[Sydney Swans]] and [[Essendon Football Club]] began to compete for the '''''Marngrook Trophy''''', awarded after home-and-away matches each year between the two teams in the [[Australian Football League]].  However, the games are played under normal rules of the AFL, rather than anything approaching Marn Grook.
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Below are a few examples of different kinship systems from across Australia:
  
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== See also ==
+
==Systems with two skin groups==
  
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* [[Ball]]
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===Pitjantjatjara===
 +
The [[Pitjantjatjara]] of northern [[South Australia]] have two [[moiety]] groups:
  
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==References==
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:'''''ngana nt arka''''' (lit. we-bone) 'our side'
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<div class="references-small"><references /></div>
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:'''''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]] [[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==
 +
 
 +
===Pintupi===
 +
The [[Pintupi]] of the [[Western Desert language|Western Desert]] have a complex kinship system, made more so by distinct prefixes for male and female skin names; "Tj" for males, "N" for females:
 +
 
 +
:::{| class="wikitable"
 +
|- bgcolor=#efefef
 +
!Gender
 +
!Skin name
 +
!Can only mary
 +
!Children will be
 +
|-
 +
|'''Male'''
 +
|Tjapaltjarri
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Female'''
 +
|Napaltjarri
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Male'''
 +
|Tjapangati
 +
|Nampitjinpa
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Female'''
 +
|Napangati
 +
|Tjampitjinpa
 +
|Tjangala, Nangala
 +
|-
 +
|'''Male'''
 +
|Tjakamarra
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Female'''
 +
|Nakamarra
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Male'''
 +
|Tjampitjinpa
 +
|Napangati
 +
|Tjangala, Nangala
 +
|-
 +
|'''Female'''
 +
|Nampitjinpa
 +
|Tjapangati
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Male'''
 +
|Tjapanangka
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Female'''
 +
|Napanangka
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Male'''
 +
|Tjungurrayi
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Female'''
 +
|Nungurrayi
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Male'''
 +
|Tjupurrula
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Female'''
 +
|Napurrula
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Male'''
 +
|Tjangala
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|'''Female'''
 +
|Nangala
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===Lardiil===
 +
The [[Lardiil]] of [[Mornington Island]] in the [[Gulf of Carpentaria]] also have eight skin groups, shown here with some of their totems:
 +
 
 +
::{| class="wikitable"
 +
|- bgcolor=#efefef
 +
!Male skin group
 +
!Totems
 +
!Can only mary<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.
  
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== External links ==
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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
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* [http://www.aboriginalfootball.com.au/marngrook.html Aboriginal Football - Marn Grook]
 
  
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[[Category:Australian Aboriginal culture]]
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==See also==
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[[Category:Australian rules football]]
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*[[List of Indigenous Australian group names]]
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[[Category:Sport in Australia]]
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*[[Noongar classification]]
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[[Category:Traditional football]]
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*[[Indigenous Australians]]
  
 +
==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]
  
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{{afl-stub}}
+
[[Category:Australian Aboriginal culture|Kinship]]
 +
[[Category:Anthropology|Australian Aboriginal kinship]]
 +
[[Category:Sociology|Australian Aboriginal Kinship]]
 +
[[Category:Indigenous Australians|Kinship]]
 +
[[Category:Marriage|Australian Aboriginal Kinship]]

Revision as of 05:31, 20 September 2006

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 Aboriginal group across Australia.

The main element is the division of clans within the same language group into skin groups, or moieties. The simplest system involves division into two skin groups. There can be four divisions, while more complex systems are divided into eight groups.

The system dicates who may marry whom – it is always taboo to marry into your own skin group – creating strong incest avoidance laws and strong bonds across clans through exogamous relations. It is often determined at birth who will marry whom. This can prove invaluable during drought or lack of resources, having cousins and skin sisters and brothers in other clans. It also creates obligations to care for those people in their time of need.

Each skin group has certain totems 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.

A person of the same skin group, of the same generation, is called "brother" or "sister". There are also names for maternal aunts and uncles and paternal aunts and uncles.

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 their mother. They are actually referring to the fact that both those relatives are in the same skin groups.

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:

Skin name Clan groups
Yirritja Gumatj, Gupapuyngu, Wangurri, Ritharrngu, Mangalili,
Munyuku, Madarrpa, Warramiri, Dhalwangu, Liyalanmirri.
Dhuwa Rirratjingu, Galpu, Djambarrpuyngu, Golumala, Marrakulu,
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 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

Pintupi

The Pintupi of the Western Desert have a complex kinship system, made more so by distinct prefixes for male and female skin names; "Tj" for males, "N" for females:

Gender Skin name Can only mary Children will be
Male Tjapaltjarri
Female Napaltjarri
Male Tjapangati Nampitjinpa
Female Napangati Tjampitjinpa Tjangala, Nangala
Male Tjakamarra
Female Nakamarra
Male Tjampitjinpa Napangati Tjangala, Nangala
Female Nampitjinpa Tjapangati
Male Tjapanangka
Female Napanangka
Male Tjungurrayi
Female Nungurrayi
Male Tjupurrula
Female Napurrula
Male Tjangala
Female Nangala

Lardiil

The Lardiil of Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria also have eight skin groups, shown here with some of their totems:

Male skin group Totems Can only mary
female skin group 		Children will be
Ngarrijbalangi Rainbird, shooting star,
egret 		Burrarangi Bangariny
Bangariny Brown hark, turtle Yakimarr Ngarrijbalangi
Buranyi Crane, salt water,
sleeping turtle 		Kangal
Balyarriny Black tiger shark,
sea turtle 		Kamarrangi
Burrarangi Lightning, rough sea,
black dingo 		Ngarrijbalangi
Yakimarr Seagull, barramundi,
grey shark 		Bangariny
Kangal Barramundi,
grey shark 		Buranyi
Kamarrangi Rock, pelican, brolga,
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

See also

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.
  • Ausanthrop kinship tutorial
  • Ausanthrop
  • Central Land Council
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