Bowers] HIDATSA SOCIAL AND CEREMONIAL ORGANIZATION 



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Chart 6. — Mother's lineage; ego= male. 



means of lineage diagrams and indicate that the form of grouping is 

 a "vertical" one based on matrilineal descent, rather than a "horizon- 

 tal" one based on bilateral descent. In ego's father's lineage all the 

 women are "grandmothers" or "father's sisters" and all the men are 

 "fathers." All men marrying women of the father's lineage are 

 "grandfathers" regardless of their age and all wives of "fathers" are 

 "mothers"; sons of "fathers," regardless of their ages, are "older 

 brother" and "younger brother" and their wives are "sisters-in-law" 

 (uuku), male speaking; (itu), woman speaking. Daughters of all 

 "fathers" are "older sister" and "younger sister" and their husbands 

 are brothers-in-law (irdti for male ego and isikisu for woman speaking). 

 For male ego, all females of the father's matrilineal lineage classified 

 as uuku are potential wives in the event of the death of a "brother." 

 For female ego, all males of the father's matrilineal lineage classified 

 as isikisu are potential husbands in the event of the death of a "sister." 

 In ego's own lineage, the mother's matrilineal lineage, we find a 



