The kinship system is a feature of Aboriginal social organisation and family relationships. In Aboriginal beliefs, your family was your tribe. It is nothing like todays families and mostly everybody was friendly towards each other. In the Aboriginal time period, tribes were really language groups. These were made up of people sharing the same language, beliefs, customs and general laws. The people of a tribe share a bond in their own language. In most tribes, the word ‘man’ is also the word for the name of the tribe. For example, in Arnhem Land, people are called “Yolgnu” when they are from the Yolgnu tribe, and this is also the word for ‘man’. A tribe is like a small country with its own language, and because of that some tribes talk of themselves as ‘nations’. An example of this would be the ‘Larrakeyah’ tribe near Darwin calling itself the ‘Larrakeyah nation’.
An important part in Aboriginal children’s education was learning the pattern of kinship. The system of classes puts everybody in a different unique kinship role. All of these roles have responsibilities attached to them. This kinship could change who might marry who and many other aspects of day to day behaviour. Once adulthood is reached, the person knows exactly how to behave to whomever he or she meets. Many of these behaviours are considered important to show politeness and respect to certain relatives. Kinship has brought with it a set of rules that one must perform when relating to others. These rules make up a part of Aboriginal law.
An important act of kinship behaviour is that an individual can approach and talk to certain relatives, but not others. These avoidance rules apply to both blood relatives and class/role relatives. This does not meant that people do not like each other or are mad at each other; the rule is there to maintain respect between classes and relatives. If two people not permitted to speak to each other want to share information, they must find a third person to pass on their information.
Sharing food and giving gifts to certain relatives happens every day. Other kinship behaviour is playing tricks on or teasing certain relatives. The main kinship relationship in which this occurs is between a granny and her grandchildren by both blood and class. There are still lots of more kinship rules that govern dancing, ceremonies, camp layout and choosing hunting parties.
An important part in Aboriginal children’s education was learning the pattern of kinship. The system of classes puts everybody in a different unique kinship role. All of these roles have responsibilities attached to them. This kinship could change who might marry who and many other aspects of day to day behaviour. Once adulthood is reached, the person knows exactly how to behave to whomever he or she meets. Many of these behaviours are considered important to show politeness and respect to certain relatives. Kinship has brought with it a set of rules that one must perform when relating to others. These rules make up a part of Aboriginal law.
An important act of kinship behaviour is that an individual can approach and talk to certain relatives, but not others. These avoidance rules apply to both blood relatives and class/role relatives. This does not meant that people do not like each other or are mad at each other; the rule is there to maintain respect between classes and relatives. If two people not permitted to speak to each other want to share information, they must find a third person to pass on their information.
Sharing food and giving gifts to certain relatives happens every day. Other kinship behaviour is playing tricks on or teasing certain relatives. The main kinship relationship in which this occurs is between a granny and her grandchildren by both blood and class. There are still lots of more kinship rules that govern dancing, ceremonies, camp layout and choosing hunting parties.