Tribe: Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North and South Dakota
6-505. Wotakuye: Lakota Kinship.
1. Background, Tiospaye, and Tiwahe
The root of Lakota social structure is tiospaye – extended family. Tiospaye comprise of tiwahe – immediate families, as well as individuals adopted through formal ceremony. Equality is a prevailing principle of tiospaye life. Responsibilities are dispersed throughout the tiospaye and no one is above the laws. Social classes do not exist, and leaders maintain prominence only insofar as they carry out the wishes of the people.
Historically, tiospaye were self-sufficient and life revolved around them. However, federal policies and initiatives that accompanied reservation life promoted the assimilation of the Lakota into mainstream Anglo-American culture and have led to a loss of some of the strengths of the tiospaye lifestyle.
Among the strengths of traditional tiospaye life and the strong emphasis on kinship was that children never really became orphans. Upon birth, they had many mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters. Thus, even though children might lose their natural parents, relatives stepped forward and assumed parental responsibilities. Furthermore, kinship customs minimized violence, conflicts, and disputes with tiospaye. Few individuals would consider causing trouble among the people, knowing of the consequences they would face from disrespecting relatives. Kinship customs in the historical tiospaye, with few exceptions, promoted a peaceful and harmonious life.
2. Awareness of Tradition Necessary for Service Protection
…Programs that reinforce traditional customs will be far more effective than those that impose contradictory standards and practices.