Study of the Anishinaabe Clan System - Essay Example

Anishinabe people Introduction The topic of study this term was the Anishinaabe people among other Algonquian-speaking people in North America and their subsequent cultures. Such was an elaborate yet exciting topic that exposed the learners to the various structures of the society and the cultural values of the societies. The learning process was exciting since it comprised of interactive exercises that did not only elicit the involvement of the learners but also encouraged research on the topical issue. Studying the clan system of the Anishinaabe was an important aspect of the studies Anishinaabe since it provides an understanding of the structure of the society among other cultural and social features that enhanced the existence of the early society. The system facilitated the unified existence of the society since it ensured that every individual played a specific role thus contributing to the peace and stability of the society. The Anishinaabe had a patrilineal clan system. This implied that the members of a clan have paternal relations with the other families. The clans were effective in influencing the lives of the people since they provided effective guidance on the fundamental issues affecting the lives of the people. Key among such issues was marriages, traditional occupations and inter-tribal relations within the society among many others. Such were vital issues that often influenced the peace and stabilities of both families and the respective clans. Families served as the basic institution in the clans, the clans therefore stipulated ways of creating families by setting the appropriate age to marry and the kinds of women to marry among other features (Johnson, 2011). The Anishinaabe people had a great sense of kinship as they considered relationship with every member of the society including grandfather (nimishoomis), mothers, grandmother, sisters, brothers, aunts and uncles among many others especially those related to the father. Paternal relatives were important in the composition of a clan, which just as stated earlier were patrilineal in structure (Benjamin, 2008). However, the relatives of the mother were equally important as the people maintained constant communication with their maternal uncles and aunts among other relatives. The clan system encouraged the men to marry out of their clans since the members of a clan shared blood relations. This was a functional way of ensuring peaceful coexistence among the members of the society since the various clans and societies shared a relationship through inter-marriages. The kinship thus served as the cementing factor that unified the people to an identity. Cousins and brothers grew together thus acknowledging the values of the society. Economic activities did not only influence the settlement of the clans in the region but also influenced the interaction of the people. Maandawe-doodem clan for example consisted of fishermen. Fishing was the main economic activity in the clan. The members of the clan settled along the shorelines of Lake Superior. Additionally, they had fertile land and enjoyed the convectional rains, which further sustained their agricultural lifestyles. Other clans such as Waabizheshi-doodem and Ojibwe engaged in other economic activities. The main economic activities of the society were fishing, farming, and hunting many others. They had basic industries such as pottery and basketry both of which contributed to the stability of the settlements. The Anishinaabe people engaged in trade as they sold both their products and services. They practiced batter trade, which implied that they exchanged products and services for the same. The organization of the Anishinaabe people was systematic with each clan having appropriate social structures. The people grew up in age groups and age sets where they sought basic education on the ways and cultures of the society. The age set system enhanced the stability of the society since the people grew up knowing and appreciating their cultural and social values (Hosmer & Nesper, 2013). They underwent various initiations as they grew past every stage. The informal education in the groupings equipped each gender with appropriate skills thus ensuring that they became responsive individuals who upheld the values of their society. Girls learnt the ways of raising happy and stable families while the boys learnt their roles as the heads of their families besides playing other social roles such as serving in the military whenever possible. Humans are social beings and the Anishinaabe people were not any different. The people interacted at various capacities and in various platforms. The society created appropriate events for the people to interact thereby enhancing the peace and stability of their respective societies. Trade and commerce was among the major platforms for interaction. The Anishinaabe engaged in trade among other commercial activities in order to sell and obtain products and services they did not have in their societies. The people from different regions had specific market days when they met with people from other clans thereby selling and acquiring new products. Other platforms for interactions included annual ceremonies such as during initiation and in wars. The various ways of interaction enhanced the social fabric of the society since the men obtained partners on such occasions thereby enhancing the growth of their societies. Wars on the other hand influenced the structures of the societies since stronger clans would always attack and assimilate other clans thereby extending their territories. In retrospect, the clan system in the early Anishinaabe societies was effective in sustaining life at the time. It provided the people with effective social structures hereby organization the societies in orderly and lawful societies. However, creating such social systems in the modern society is impossible owing to the social structure of the modern society. The individualistic social structure would frustrate the formation of collective societies in which people existed in families. Additionally, the modern society has unique form of stratification, one that cannot enhance the formation of the previous clan system. The word is currently a global village. Such a social structure makes it difficult for people to exist in ordered clans. The same applies to the economic activities in the modern society. People travel and settle in various parts of the world owing to their professions. This would frustrate the clans system that required the people to live together in ordered societies. References Benjamin, V. B. (2008). Clan Destined Communities: The Persistence and Revitalization of Ojibwe Clan Identity in Ojibwe Literature. New York: ProQuest. Hosmer, B. C., & Nesper, L. (2013). Tribal worlds: Critical studies in American Indian nation building. Albany: State University of New York Press. Johnson, B. (2011). Anishinaabe Peoples, Including: Ojibwe, Anishinaabe Clan System, List of Algonquin Chiefs, Weechi-it-te-win Family Services. New York: BiblioBazaar. Read More