Family Kin and Family Relationships

Knowing Your Family

Knowing your family and its history forms an essential part of their identity

Moort/Moortung: Family/Relations

Marriage & Affiliation

Matri-Lineal - Following decent from the mother

Patri-Lineal - Following decent from the Father

Important Things to Note

Very Intricate Notion of Family and Relationships

Moort doesn't only mean immediate family

Kinship

The Nyungar people are connected with their whole group whether it be distant or non-distant

Kinship portrays how their Moort interact with on another and their land

A network of Aboriginal social organisation and family relationships across Australia

Noongar predominantly follow matri-lineal descent

Depicts responsibilities and obligations to their own community and even their own land and territories

The Heart of

Nyungar Culture

The idea of matri-dentered ideology is merely a trend amongst Nyungar people, and not a law

Kin Determines;

Marriage

Ceremonial Roles

Funeral Roles

Behaviour Patterns with other Kin

Kinship systems differ between groups in the Southwest, for instance the Nyungar and Walmajarri

The Land and Moort

There is a broad emphasis on family associations and ties to particular geographic regions

Noongar men are seen to have vastly more independence then the women

Noongar women are commonly responsible for the 'household' of the family and are in charge

Kin network is generated by knowing ones relationships to others, and by acknowledging one's surname and birthplace

Differences between some families is their relationship to the regions they occupy

Knowledge about Kin is derived from families social, historical and economical ties with specific locations

Moort in the Nyungar language, translates to Family, but it means more than just that

Moort is at the heart of the Nyungar culture

Their family tree systems are vast and complex

Family Splitting

They are connected through 'Spirits' and 'Constellations'

Sexual Liaison

Why....

Questions

Given how the Noongar people view their families, is their any similarities between westernised family ideologies and Noongar Moort?

In Noongar society, where its almost a community or kin that raises/rears a child up, would you consider this a better way to raise a child then the mother/father western way?

'All-one-family'

Do western ideologies of ‘family’ open more doors to individualism rather than family and community growth?

Would you consider Noongar's close relationship with family and kin is beneficial or obstructive to life? You can consider connections or supervision...

References

1. Birdsall, C. L., Family History and Social Network Among Nyungar People. Aboriginal History. vol. 11, 1987 pp 129-142.

2. Mia, T., Budja Moort Djurah – Kutuanana: cultural survival and reconciliation, Perth, Centre for Indigenous History and the Arts, 1999

3. Toussaint, S., Aboriginal Resistance and the Maintenance of Identity: Nyungars and the State, Social Analysis, no. 32, 1992, pp. 16-30.

4. Hancock, P., 'Ancient tales of Perth's fascinating birds', The Sydney Morning Herald, 5 April 2014, http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/about-town/ancient-tales-of-perths-fascinating-birds-20140405-3650p.html, (accessed 10 April 2017)

5. Republicofsunshyne., 'Moyondizvo dhewa!', wordpress, [web blog], 5 April 2012, https://sunshynec.wordpress.com/tag/shona-culture/, (accessed 11 April 2017).

Extends bounds of common western family both spiritually and interdependently

Strong support system

Essential for kitijin and passing of knowledge

Moortung: Relations within Families

Demban - Grandfather

Dembart - Grandmother

Ngangk - Mother

Maam bart/Maaman/Naan - Father

Ngoony - Brother

Djook - Sister

Family Kin and Family Relationships

1. 'Westerners' should eliminate any preconceived family ideology

2. The history of extended family relations between one another

3. The life experience and birthplace of these families

Case Studies

1. McNish Family - Economics and Kin

"We are going to have to weather a lot of conflict, but every hurdle you jump means you are clearing the way for other aboriginal people to come through"

2. Elizabeth Jones - Identities and Kin

3. Nyungar totem - Spirituality and Kin

Economic burden

sharing among the whole family

#1 Economics in Kin

McNish Family

Laterality vs Lineality

extended domestic ties vs lineal descent ties

LATERALITY WINS!!

Aim: increase size of the family group increase income !

*special case for well-off family

#2 Identities in Kin

Elizabeth Jones

- mixed, separated from family

Searching for identity

Funeral of sister-in-law

• E. Jones did not receive news
• Family's expected E. Jones should have shown up

Devalued the affinal ties

Difficulties in identification

• between two identities - aboriginal vs white
• separation from kin

#3 Spirituality in Kin

Responsibility on totem

Totem

• protect
• maintain the population

• 2 great families

Crow people - Wardong

White cockatoo people - Mandich

marriage within the own group = incest/severely punished

blood relationship and kinship

spirituality with relevant others

Spirituality forms the

solidarity of kin, emotion and consciousness