CLASSES OF KINSHIP.
§ 73. Joseph La Flèche and Two Crows recognize four classes of kinship:
1. Consanguineous or blood kinship, which includes not only the gens of the father, but also those of the mother and grandmothers.
2. Marriage kinship, including all the affinities of the consort, as well as those of the son's wife or daughter's husband.
3. Weawan kinship, connected with the Calumet dance. (See § [126].)
4. Inter-gentile kinship, existing between contiguous gentes. This last is not regarded as a bar to intermarriage, e. g., the Wejincte and Iñke-sabě gentes are related; and the Wejincte man whose tent is at the end of his gentile area in the tribal circle is considered as a very near kinsman by the Iñke-sabě man whose tent is next to his. In like manner, the Iñke-sabě Wa¢igije man who camps next to the Hañga gens is a brother of his nearest Hañga neighbor. The last man in the Hañga area is the brother of the first ₵atada (Wasabe-hit`ajĭ), who acts as Quʞa for the Hañga. The last ₵atada [K]e-`in man is brother of the first [K]anze man, and so on around the circle.
Two other classes of relationship were given to the writer by members of three tribes, Omahas, Ponkas, and Missouris, but Joseph La Flèche and Two Crows never heard of them. The writer gives authorities for each statement.
5. Nikie kinship. "Nikie" means "Something handed down from a mythical ancestor," or "An ancient custom." Nikie kinship refers to kinship based on descent from the same or a similar mythical ancestor. For example, Big Elk, of the Omaha Wejincte or Elk gens, told the writer that he was related to the Kansas Elk gens, and that a Wejincte man called a Kansas Elk man "My younger brother," the Kansas man calling the Wejincte "My elder brother."
Icta¢abi, an Iñke-sabě, and Ckátce-yiñ´e, of the Missouri tribe, said that the Omaha Wejincte calls the Oto Hótatci (Elk gens) "Elder brother." But Big Elk did not know about this. He said, however, that his gens was related to the Ponka Niʞa[p]aᴐna, a deer and elk gens.
Icta¢abi said that Omaha Iñke-sabě, his own gens, calls the Ponka ₵ixida "Grandchild"; but others say that this is owing to intermarriage. Icta¢abi also said that Iñke-sabě calls the Ponka Wajaje "Elder brother"; but some say that this is owing to intermarriage. Gahige, of the Iñke-sabě gens, calls Standing Grizzly bear of the Ponka Wajaje his grandchild; and Standing Buffalo, of the same gens, his son. So Icta¢abi's statement was incorrect.
BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY ANNUAL REPORT 1882 PL. XXXII
OMAHA SYSTEM OF CONSANGUINITIES.
Legend.
EGO, a male.
A Father group. Indadi, my father.
[A] Mother group. Innanha, my mother.
B Grandfather group. Wiʇigan, my grandfather.
[B] Grandmother group. Wiʞan, my grandmother.
C Son group. Wijiñge, my son.
[c] Daughter group. Wijañge, my daughter.
D—[D] Grandchild group. Wiʇucpa, my grandchild N. B.—D denotes a grandson, and [D], a granddaughter.
E Elder brother group. Wijin¢e, my elder brother.
F Younger brother group. Wisañga, my younger brother.
[E]—[F] Sister group. Wiʇañge, my sister. This term is also used by EGO, a female, for “My younger sister”; but EGO, a male, does not distinguish between elder sister ([E]) and younger sister ([F]).
G Sister’s son group. Wiʇancka, my sister’s son.
[G] Sister’s daughter group. Wiʇijan, my sister’s daughter.
H Mother’s brother group. Winegi, my mother’s brother.
[H] Father’s sister group. Wiʇimi, my father’s sister.
Affinity groups in this part of the plate:
a Wife’s brother or sister’s husband group. Wiʇahan, my brother-in-law.
Wife’s sister or brother’s wife group. Wihañga, my potential wife.
[c] Son’s wife group. Wiʇini, my son’s wife.
d Daughter’s husband group. Wiʇande, my daughter’s husband.
Legend.
EGO, a female. A, [A], B, [B], C, [C], D, [D], F, H, and [H] as above.
E Elder brother group. Wiʇinu, my elder brother.
E Elder sister group. Wijan¢e, my elder sister.
[F] Younger sister group. Wiʇañge, my younger sister.
I Brother’s son group. Wiʇucka, my brother’s son.
[J] Brother’s daughter group. Wiʇujañge, my brother’s daughter.
Affinity groups in this part of the plate:
See above for explanation of [c] and d.
e Husband’s brother group. Wici`e, my potential husband.
[f] Husband’s sister group. Wiciʞan, my husband’s sister.]
Icta¢bi and Ckatce-yiñe said that Iñke-sabě calls the Oto Arúqwa, or Buffalo gens, "Grandfather;" and that the Oto Rútce or Pigeon gens is called "Grandchild" by Iñke-sabě.
Some said that the Omaha Wasabe-hit`ajĭ called the Ponka Wasabe-hit`ajĭ "Grandchild"; but [P]á¢in-nanpájĭ, of the Omaha Wasabe-hit`ajĭ, said that his subgens called the Ponka Wasabe-hit`ajĭ "Younger brother"; and ₵ixida and Wajaje "Grandfather." Húpe¢a, another member of the Omaha Wasabe-hit`ajĭ, said that Ubískă of the Ponka Wasabe-hit`ajĭ was his son; Ubískă's father, his elder brother (by marriage); and Ubískă's grandfather his (Hupe¢a's) father. He also said that he addressed as elder brothers all Ponka men older than himself, and all younger than himself he called his younger brothers.
Fire Chief of the Omaha Wajiñga-¢atajĭ said that he called Keʞré[ç]e, of the Oto Tunan´p'in gens, his son; the Ponka Wasabe-hit`ajĭ, his elder brother; the Kansas Wasabe and Miʞa, his fathers; the Kansas Eagle people, his fathers; the Kansas Turtle people, his elder brothers; the Oto Rútce (Pigeon people), his fathers; the Oto Makátce (Owl people), his sisters' sons; and the Winnebago Hontc (Black bear people), his fathers.
Omaha Man¢iñka-gaxe calls Yankton-Dakota Tcaxú, "Sister's sons," but Tcañ´kuté, Ihá-isdáye, Watcéunpa, and Ikmun´, are "Grandsons."
[T]a-[p]a calls Oto [T]ᴐéxita (Eagle people) "Grandchildren"; and Ponka Hísada "Grandfathers."
Icta¢abi said that Ictasanda called Ponka Makan´ "Mother's brother"; but Ibahanbi, of the Ictasanda gens, denied it. Ibahanbi said that he called a member of a gens of another tribe, when related to him by the nikie, "My father," if the latter were very old; "My elder brother," if a little older than himself, and "My younger brother," if the latter were Ibahanbi's junior. Besides, Ibahanbi takes, for example, the place of Standing Bear of the Ponka Wajaje; and whatever relationship Standing Bear sustains to the Hisada, ₵ixida, Nikadaᴐna, etc., is also sustained to the members of each gens by Ibahanbi.
6. Sacred Pipe kinship. Gahige, of the Omaha Iñke-sabě, said that all who had sacred pipes called one another "Friend." Ponka Wacabe and Omaha Iñke-sabě speak to each other thus. But Joseph La Flèche and Two Crows deny this.
CONSANGUINEOUS KINSHIP.
§ 74. All of a man's consanguinities belong to fourteen groups, and a woman has fifteen groups of consanguinities. Many affinities are addressed by consanguinity terms; excepting these, there are only four groups of affinities. In the accompanying charts consanguinities are designated by capital letters and affinities by small letters. Roman letters denote males and script letters females. Some necessary exceptions to these rules are shown in the Legends.
§ 75. Peculiarities of the Charts.—The most remote ancestors are called grandfathers and grandmothers, and the most remote descendant is addressed or spoken of as a grandchild.
My brother's children (male speaking) are my children, because their mother ([J]) can become my wife on the death of their father. My brother's son (I) and daughter (), female speaking, are my nephews and nieces. A man calls his sister's children his nephews and nieces (G and [G]), and they do not belong to his gens.
A woman calls her sister's children, her own children, as their father can be her husband. (See "e.") My mother's brother's son (m. or f. sp.) is my mother's brother (H), because his sister ([A]) can be my father's wife. The son of an "H" is always an "H" and his sisters and daughters are always "[A]'s." The children of [A]'s are always brothers and sisters to Ego (m. or f.), as are the children of A's. The husband of my father's sister (m. sp.) is my brother-in-law (a) because he can marry my sister ([E] or [F]), and their children are my sister's children (G and "[G]"). A brother of the real or potential wife of a grandfather is also a grandfather of Ego (m. or f.). The niece of the real or potential wife of my grandfather (m. or f. sp.) is his potential wife and my grandmother, so her brother is my grandfather.
§ 76. From these examples and from others found in the charts, it is plain that the kinship terms are used with considerable latitude, and not as we employ them. Whether Ego be a male or female, I call all men my fathers whom my father calls his brothers or whom my mother calls her potential husbands. I call all women my mothers whom my mother calls her sisters, aunts, or nieces, or whom my father calls his potential wives.
I call all men brothers who are the sons of such fathers or mothers, and their sisters are my sisters. I call all men my grandfathers who are the fathers or grandfathers of my fathers or mothers, or whom my fathers or mothers call their mothers' brothers. I call all women my grandmothers who are the real or potential wives of my grandfathers, or who are the mothers or grandmothers of my fathers or mothers, or whom my fathers or mothers call their fathers' sisters.
I, a male, call all males my sons who are the sons of my brothers or of my potential wives, and the sisters of those sons are my daughters. I, a female, call those males my nephews who are the sons of my brothers, and the daughters of my brothers are my nieces; but my sister's children are my children as their father is my potential or actual husband. I, a male, call my sister's son my nephew, and her daughter is my niece. I, a male or female, call all males and females my grandchildren who are the children of my sons, daughters, nephews, or nieces. I, a male or female, call all men my uncles whom my mothers call their brothers. And my aunts are all females who are my fathers' sisters as well as those who are the wives of my uncles. But my father's sisters' husbands, I being a male, are my brothers-in-law, being the potential or real husbands of my sisters; and they are my potential husbands, when Ego is a female.
BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY ANNUAL REPORT 1882 PL. XXXIII
OMAHA SYSTEM OF AFFINITIES.
Legend.
Affinities of
EGO, a male:
Wigaq¢an, my wife.
a Wife's brother group. Wiʇáhan, my wife's brother.
Wife's sister group. Wiha-ñ´ga, my potential wife.
Though "My wife's mother's sister's husband" is wiʇigan, my grandfather (see B*), that term, as applied to him, is seemingly without reason.—JOSEPH LA FLÈCHE.
The husband of my wife's sister () is not always my consanguinity, but if he is a kinsman, I call him my elder (E) or younger (F) brother.
Affinities of
EGO, a female:
Wíeg¢añge, my husband.
e Husband's brother group. Wíci`e, my potential husband.
fHusband's sister group. Wicíʞan, my husband's sister.
The wife of "e" is my sister (wijan¢e or wi ʇañge), my father's sister (wiʇimi), or my brother's daughter (wiʇujañge), if related to Ego, a female. This kinship will be expressed by E, [F], [H], or [I], according to circumstances. See
in the chart.
Affinities common to both sexes:
B Grandfather group. Wiʇigan, my grandfather.
[B] Grandmother group. Wiʞan, my grandmother.
[c] Son's wife group. Wiʇini, my son's wife.
d Daughter's husband group. Wiʇande, my daughter's husband.
C Son group. Wijiñge, my son.
[C] Daughter group. Wijañge my daughter.
D—[D] Grandchild group. Wiʇucpa, my grandchild (D, if male; [D], if female).]
AFFINITIES.
§ 77. Any female is the potential wife of Ego, a male, whom my own wife calls her ijan¢e (E), itañge ([F]), itimi ([H]) or itujañge ([J]). I, a male, also call my potential wives those who the widows or wives of my elder or younger brothers.
I, a male, have any male for my brother-in-law whom my wife calls her elder or younger brother; also any male who is the brother of my wife's niece or of my brother's wife. But my wife's father's brother is my grandfather, not my brother-in-law, though his sister is my potential wife. When my brother-in-law is the husband of my father's sister or of my own sister, his sister is my grandchild, and not my potential wife. A man is my brother-in-law if he be the husband of my father's sister, since he can marry my own sister, but my aunt's husband is not my brother-in-law when he is my uncle or mother's brother (H). Any male is my brother-in-law who is my sister's husband (a). But while my sister's niece's husband is my sister's potential or real husband, he is my son-in-law, as he is my daughter's husband (d). I, a male or female, call any male my son-in-law who is the husband of my daughter ([C]), my niece ([G] or [J]), or of my grandchild [D], and his father is my son-in-law.
When I, a male or female, call my daughter-in-law's father my grandfather, her brother is my grandchild (D).
Any female is my daughter-in-law (male or female speaking) who is the wife of my son, nephew, or grandchild; and the mother of my son-in-law is so called by me. Any male affinity is my grandfather (or father-in-law) who is the father, mother's brother, or grandfather of my wife, my potential wife, or my daughter-in-law (the last being the wife of my son, nephew, or grandson). The corresponding female affinity is my grandmother (or mother-in-law).