Ethnology of Tokelau Islands
Kindred Relationships
Kindred Relationships
The functional social group based on blood relationship is the kindred or persons reckoning descent and inheriting property from a common ancestor. Theoretically kinship is reckoned with all those who can trace descent from the earliest common ancestor, but for the requirements of exogamic marriage, the social obligations of blood relatives, and the practical division of land the kindreds trace their origin from a later ancestor.
Collateral—Male Side | Lineal | Collateral—Female Side | ||||||||||
Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | |||||||
granduncle | grandaunt | grandfather | grandmother | granduncle | grandaunt | |||||||
tupuna | tupuna | tupuna | tupuna | tupuna | tupuna | |||||||
father's brother | father's sister | father | mother | mother's brother | mother's sister | |||||||
tamana | matua sa, matua tauaitu or matua | tamana | matua | tuatina | matua | |||||||
father's brother's | father's sister's | brother | self | sister | mother's brother's | mother's sister's | ||||||
son | daughter | son and daughter | taina m. s. | tuafafine m. s. | son and daughter | son | daughter | |||||
taina m. s. | tuafafine m. s. | ilamutu or fakatau tuatina | tuangane w. s. | taina w. s. | tuatina | taina m. s. | tuafafine m. s. | |||||
oldest | oldest | tuangane w. s. | taina w. s. | |||||||||
kimua or fakamua | kimua | |||||||||||
youngest | youngest | |||||||||||
kimuli | kimuli | |||||||||||
father's brother's children's | father's sister's children's | brother's son | daughter's son | son | daughter | sister's son | daughter's son | mother's brother's | mother's sister's | |||
son | daughter | son and daughter | tama m. s. | tama fafine m. s. | tama or ataliki | tama fafine or afafine | ilamutu m. s. or fakatau | ilamutu m. s. or fakatau | children's | children's | ||
tama | tama fafine | ilamutu | tamasa w. s. | tama sa w. s. | son and daughter | son | daughter | |||||
fakatau tuatina | tuatina | tama | tama fafine | |||||||||
tuatina | tuatina | |||||||||||
tama w. s. | tama fafine w. s. | |||||||||||
grandnephew | grandniece | grandson | granddaughter | grandnephew | grandniece | |||||||
makupunu | makupunu | makupuna | makupuna | makupuna | makupuna |
The kindred is not a stable institution but increases with each generation. When it becomes too large to function as a unit, it gradually regroups itself into new kindreds. The common ownership of land is, however, the determining factor in the formation of the kindred, for when the land of a kindred is divided, new groups form in the succeeding generations, each based on the ownership and inheritance of one of the new land divisions.