Kinship – Wótakuye

Kinship is one of the essential values coming from the tiyóšpaye, the extended family. It includes the ideas of living in harmony, belonging, relations as the true wealth, and the importance of trusting in others. It is one of the values that made the tiyóšpaye work.

Family is the measure of your wealth. They will support you in good times and in bad times. For a Lakota, you belong to a tiyóšpaye through birth, marriage, or adoption. Your family even extends out to your band and the whole Lakota nation. Whenever you travel somewhere, you can expect to be welcomed and supported as if you were in your own immediate family.

In traditional Lakota society, wótakuye was a little different from what it is today. The Lakota were a warrior and hunting society. This meant the men might not return when they went out to fight or to hunt. So, the network of relatives ensured the women, children, and elders would not be left alone. In these times, generosity was the way of life, and resources were meant to be shared.