Anishinaabe Clan - Essay Example

Clan System of Anishinaabe al Affiliation: Stark holds that clan system has a basis on tenets originating from Anishinabe seven original clans. Each of the clans has some special attributes accorded to them defining the social relationships ascribed to by the members. The loons and cranes were left for a chance to be societal chiefs. People in these two classes had evident exhibitions of naturally evident quality leadership abilities. Both of these clans claim original clan chieftainship. From joint working, people got accorded an administration that was balanced, each of the two clans checking on the other administration of authority. Scholars and teachers got drawn from the fish class. Members passed on wellness inner health and skills to the children from the Anishinabe. Solutions to the disputes that pitted the Loons and the Crane clans also originated from the fish clan of scholars and teachers. Heads of war came from a clan known as the Bear kinfolk and people from this clan had distinguishing features, which set them apart from the rest of the clans. Bear moreover consisted of the largest race of the Anishinabe. Most striking was a feature of black hair that was thick, which remained black even when the individuals from this clan got to old age. According to Hollingsworth (2010), legal guardians and the police came from the bear tribe since they were physically powerful and stable. They were very explosive and very brave when in battle combat. Since they were the security agents, most of their activities involved patrolling the village vastness and in the process, they acquired medicinal knowledge. Medicines they learned about included plants, roots, and barks with medicinal values for administration of treatment to the masses. Transporters of and disseminators of messages emanated from the Martin people. People from this clan also practiced hunting, food gathering and war activities. Meticulous strategizing, planning and defense of the hunting territories and offering defense to the villages was a specialty of these clan members. Tranquility attributable to a deer’s gentleness was an attribute of the hoof clan from where its name got derived. Mostly people from this clan created an atmosphere of pacification that quelled words that were harsh. Conciliation got achieved by this clan through their special art of poetry from where soothing words were crafted. Efforts of the hoof clan also ensured proper recreation and housing in the community through mutual care of one another by this group. Divine advancement and comfort vision to the common populace was the responsibility of the Bird kin members. An assumption was attributable to the bird class of them being in possession of characteristics of the eagle that headed their clan. As the eagle has the ability of soaring very high into the sky, the eagle clan individuals were believed to practice high mind elevations. The origin of this family was on the grounds of intermarriages involving locals and white natives. In this clan, belonging gets handed down through paternity especially from white fathers. Scouts came from a clan that resulted because of intermarriages with inhabitants of Dakota. The clan with fame for producing scouts is known as the wolf. The unique societal circumstances describe the Anishinabe and most importantly; it is the individual relationships specified. Relationships are specified for the enhancement of populace getting to know their identities and origins. Societal bonds are defining responsibilities and relationships that define the Anishinabe society hold the clans together, in an all-encompassing process. Bohaker (2010) asserts that Anishinabe has a belief system, which recognizes that there are responsibilities, which are necessary to get fulfilled by clans. Hospitality and integration were provided by long-term connection of cooperation in activities such as warfare and hunting. Social cohesion was the outcome of the cooperation as well as chief-ship transmission. Therefore, the clans helped in the enhancement of societal bonding and regulation. Connective and demarcation of relationships among the clans formed the basis of interrelationships among classes. In general, control and social organization were the results of the connective and demarcation of relationships. At the personal echelon of the society, forms the source for clan’s functionality. More prominence got accorded to relationships and communal ties among the people from various clans and therefore was continuously recognized. Relationships were valued so much and included marriages and relationships with other societal set ups. The fundamental principle was relationships in the Anishinabe setup. Essentially it people were either adopted or naturally ascribed to Anishinabe by birth into clans that had wide spans. The clans, therefore, provided individuals with family and social identities representing the identity of Anishinabe. Most importantly about the ruling style of the clan system, is that no one by the way of clans was allowed to exercise too much into leadership that would result in oppression. The clan system, therefore, ensured the obstruction of situations of exploitive controlling regimes. Stark (2012) records that division of power was ensured through the dispersion of power in different positional segments. Leaders who seemed to wield too much power lost the popular support from the masses. Women were allowed to belong in the ruling positions as they formulated the regulations for women standards. No restrictions were in place to limit the participation of women or that would curtail their rights. Women also played an important role of creating good rapport between different clans. Social concept got used in justice administration and resolution of disputes, making this concept be entrenched in the lifestyles of Anishinabe. According to Hollingsworth (2010), re-establishment and retrieval of the system of clan can be possible through the reestablishment of political and societal unity systems. Restoration may get based on the teachings about land, customs, traditions, and culture. Law must get excluded from the re-introduction of the system instead; incorporation of balance, harmony and peace needs to get entrenched in the governance. Incorporation of these aspects would ensure people getting woven together thus the success and longevity of the re-introduction of the clan system. When Law gets replaced by focusing on building communal constitutions for self-administration, revitalization and restoration of the clan system may survive for the long term. Sufficient enlightenment of the people in the ways of the clan system would, encourage high-level participation and form basis for survival of the system of clan amidst the modern day societal arrangements. Responsibilities and compulsions derived from the clan system would positively reinforce the practice of the societal philosophical ways for development of the system’s survival. When the reintroduction of the clan system succeeds in influencing people’s phases of lives such as societal responsibilities, stages, and occupations, it is likely to succeed. Therefore, retrieval and development of the clan system is a possibility with due knowledge about the values of the system. Personal life impact of the system would trigger a feeling of belonging hence promote the urge of preservation and survival of the clan system. References Bohaker, H. (2010). Reading Anishinaabe Identities: Meaning and Metaphor in Nindoodem Pictographs. Ethnohistory, 57(1), 11-33. Hollingsworth, J. (2010, March 7). Anishinaabe stories preserve tradition. Duluth News-Tribune (MN). Stark, H. K. (2012). Marked by Fire: Anishinaabe Articulations of Nationhood in Treaty Making with the United States and Canada.American Indian Quarterly, 36(2), 119-149. Read More