Kinship Relationships and Expectations
The Kinship system of the Lakota and Dakota people is based on their immediate familie, extended family and tiospaye.
Tiospaye refers to the wide, extended families who may or may not be related to you but live in the same camp. They live, travel and take care of each other. This family system is based on love, respect and helping each other.
There are kinship roles that also exist in some families - these are:
- Brothers and sister have a respect relationship.
- Son-in-laws do not talk to their mother-in-laws.
- Daughter-in-laws do not talk to their father-in-laws.
- Daughter-in-laws do not talk to father-in-laws.
- Male relatives and female relatives are not left home together. An example: grandpas and uncles do not babysit little girls.
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