Lakota=>Siouan polyandry inquiry

[Greer, Jill]

Aloha Mark, Mary, and All,

Might the practice of the levirate and institutionalized joking between a woman and her husband's brothers be related to a potential sexual relationship there (especially if the brother's wife were to die)?

Outside the realm of Siouan-speaking groups,  I do recall E. Adamson Hoebel's work on the Cheyenne mentioning that the legal punishment for adultery was NOT enforced for one's wife sleeping with one of a man's brothers because in fact,  a brother had the traditional right of sexual access to his brother(s)' wife.  Since the traditional anthropological explanation of polyandry emphasizes fraternal examples,  it really seems to fit with the concept of temporary or sporadic wife sharing.  When would you decide where the former stopped, and actual polyandry began?   It was a long time ago when I was asked to teach someone's course on Social Control and Law,  so I could be misremembering a detail,  but the shock value  of that scenario made an impression on my then-youngish mind.

This recollection comes especially from the book he wrote about law and legal systems -  sorry the exact reference is at home,  and my brain is hoping for the weekend to begin soon,  but it's an interesting discussion.   Naturally,  it fits better with a patrilineal descent reckoning, which makes me wonder if it is totally unheard of in Crow?

Best,
Jill

Dr. Jill D. Greer
Associate Professor
Social Science Department
MSSU
3950 E. Newman Road
Joplin, MO  64801
417.625.9795
Greer-j at mssu.edu





From: Siouan Linguistics [mailto:SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu] On Behalf Of Mark J Awakuni-Swetland
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 8:01 AM
To: SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: Lakota=>Siouan polyandry inquiry

Aloha Mary,
Thanks for the 'fertility expedient' idea.
Walker does not provide a Lakota expression in the surrounding text.
He does not expand on the term "buried man" either.
Mark

Mary C Marino <mary.marino at USASK.CA<mailto:mary.marino at USASK.CA>>
Sent by: Siouan Linguistics <SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu<mailto:SIOUAN at listserv.unl.edu>>

09/22/11 10:28 PM
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Re: Lakota=>Siouan polyandry inquiry







Hello Mark

I have never heard of this before regarding either the Lakota or the Dakota, and I think this is a questionable use of the term 'polyandry'.  It sounds more like an expedient to address infertility in a marriage otherwise satisfactory to the husband and wife.  Does Walker further describe this concept of the 'buried man'?  Does he give a Lakota expression?

Mary


On 22/09/2011 8:13 AM, Mark J Awakuni-Swetland wrote:
Aloha All,
My Anthropology Department Chair Ray Hames brought me a copy of James Walker's LAKOTA SOCIETY with an inquiry.

He and a student are preparing a journal article describing polyandry (a woman having more than one husband).

They are finding accounts of this practice in groups outside of the regularly cited groups known to use this strategy.

In the Walker case, there is no reference or citation as to the source of his statement regarding polyandry among the Lakota.

I have included the paragraph that mentions polyandry from page 55 of Walker's book for your reference.

Ray Hames also inquired as to the meaning of the second husband being considered "buried"

Does anyone know of this practice among the Lakota or other Siouan groups?

I am not aware of it among the Omaha.

I would presume that if such a practice existed there would be a term for that names this arrangement, the second husband, terms of relations, etc.

Thanks
Mark




Mark Awakuni-Swetland, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anthropology & Ethnic Studies
Native American Studies Program Liaison
University of Nebraska
Department of Anthropology
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