Anishinaabe People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Anishinaabe People - Essay Example The people could shelter these women and their children but they did not have similar positions with children born with Anishinaabe fathers in the society. Doodem which is their word for clan was borrowed from the English word totem. The clans which are mostly based on animals are very instrumental in conventional occupations, marriages and inter tribal relations. Even in modern day, the clan remains a very crucial part of the Anishinaabe identity (Basil 9). I came to understand that Anishinaabe’s understanding of kinship was very complex and included not only the nuclear family but also the extended family as well. It is regarded as a merging kinship system that is modified. As with any bifurcate merging kinship system, the children basically share similar kinship term with their parallel cousins since they are all part of the same clan. The bespoke system permits younger siblings to share similar kinship terms with cross cousins who are younger. The complexity vanishes further from the speaker’s instantaneous generation but some of the complexity is retained with women relatives. This kinship system reflects the philosophy of the Anishinaabe people of balance and interconnectedness among all the living generations as well as of all other generations from the past and of the future. Additionally to the Anishinaabe totem, clans belonging to other tribes are regarded as being related to the clans of Anishinaabe if they shar e the same designation. Consequently for instance, blending of an Anishinaabe bear clan.