A Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical Narratives
A Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical Narratives. Drawing upon the theoretical perspectives of Claude Lévi-Strauss, Raymond DeMallie, and Emmanuel Désveaux, this paper combines a structuralist approach with symbolic...
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| Language: | English |
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Société des américanistes
2010-12-01
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| Series: | Journal de la Société des Américanistes |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/11529 |
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| author | Kellie Hogue |
| author_facet | Kellie Hogue |
| author_sort | Kellie Hogue |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical Narratives. Drawing upon the theoretical perspectives of Claude Lévi-Strauss, Raymond DeMallie, and Emmanuel Désveaux, this paper combines a structuralist approach with symbolic anthropology in an attempt to reinterpret historical categorization of Lakota kinship through an examination of the relationship between the Lakota and a pervasive representative of the non-material world in Lakota life, the bird. To begin this reinterpretation, I identify the existence of a special relationship between the Lakota and birds through a review of relevant myths. Then, I present qualitative data about the symbolic language of feathers found in the writings of 19th and 20th century Lakota people like Luther Standing Bear, White Bull, and Black Elk. Next, I explain how these symbols serve as intermediaries between the material and non-material cognitive worlds of the Lakota and birds. After considering the evidence presented, I suggest that 19th and 20th century Lakota notions of kinship were more complex than has been historically depicted because they took into consideration both human and non-human relationships. My goal is to provocatively prompt a reconsideration of the historical categorization of Lakota ideas of kinship to take into account the influence of non-human relations on social behavior and organization. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3d6bb7bf73344ab2bfeaf791f6f28e04 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0037-9174 1957-7842 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2010-12-01 |
| publisher | Société des américanistes |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal de la Société des Américanistes |
| spelling | doaj-art-3d6bb7bf73344ab2bfeaf791f6f28e042025-02-05T15:54:19ZengSociété des américanistesJournal de la Société des Américanistes0037-91741957-78422010-12-0196210113110.4000/jsa.11529A Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical NarrativesKellie HogueA Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical Narratives. Drawing upon the theoretical perspectives of Claude Lévi-Strauss, Raymond DeMallie, and Emmanuel Désveaux, this paper combines a structuralist approach with symbolic anthropology in an attempt to reinterpret historical categorization of Lakota kinship through an examination of the relationship between the Lakota and a pervasive representative of the non-material world in Lakota life, the bird. To begin this reinterpretation, I identify the existence of a special relationship between the Lakota and birds through a review of relevant myths. Then, I present qualitative data about the symbolic language of feathers found in the writings of 19th and 20th century Lakota people like Luther Standing Bear, White Bull, and Black Elk. Next, I explain how these symbols serve as intermediaries between the material and non-material cognitive worlds of the Lakota and birds. After considering the evidence presented, I suggest that 19th and 20th century Lakota notions of kinship were more complex than has been historically depicted because they took into consideration both human and non-human relationships. My goal is to provocatively prompt a reconsideration of the historical categorization of Lakota ideas of kinship to take into account the influence of non-human relations on social behavior and organization.https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/11529structuralismkinshipbirds |
| spellingShingle | Kellie Hogue A Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical Narratives Journal de la Société des Américanistes structuralism kinship birds |
| title | A Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical Narratives |
| title_full | A Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical Narratives |
| title_fullStr | A Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical Narratives |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical Narratives |
| title_short | A Myth of Kinship? Reinterpreting Lakota Conceptualization of Kin Relationships vis-à-vis 19th and 20th Century Historical Narratives |
| title_sort | myth of kinship reinterpreting lakota conceptualization of kin relationships vis a vis 19th and 20th century historical narratives |
| topic | structuralism kinship birds |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/jsa/11529 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kelliehogue amythofkinshipreinterpretinglakotaconceptualizationofkinrelationshipsvisavis19thand20thcenturyhistoricalnarratives AT kelliehogue mythofkinshipreinterpretinglakotaconceptualizationofkinrelationshipsvisavis19thand20thcenturyhistoricalnarratives |