Sophie Hassell

Dr. Katz
ANTH 3090-001
12 April 2016
13. How does kinship deal with the issue of death?
The issue of death creates questions about what happens next. People want to know if
they will be forgotten or how they will be remembered. Different societies have their own ways
of dealing with death, many utilizing forms of kinship in the process. The ability to continue
ones essence post-death creates interesting discussion from many perspectives.
In America, blood or biogenetic substance defines kinship. These blood relations are very
strong and are not able to be broken easily (Carsten 21). Transferring bodily fluids, such as breast
milk, blood or sexual fluids ensure the continuation of kinship (Carsten 24). By passing on
biological and genetic information, the strong bonds of kinship are able to continue. Organ
donations play an interesting role with the issue of death (Carsten 25). When making an organ
donation, do we really die, or does our essence continue? It is said that the heart holds the most
of a person's essence (Carsten 25). Therefore, by having a heart transplant one assumes different
personality traits and characteristics of the deceased donor. This demonstrates how a person
continues to live on after they have passed through being transplanted into another individual.
The concept of living on can be related to the book Unwind. In this story, body parts are taken
from unwound children and donated to those in need. Many of the characteristics and abilities
from the donation carry forward to their new body, demonstrating the how death is not really the
end of an individuals essence. Blood and blood donation also embodies kinship and issues of
death (Cartsen 26). Families genetically pass down blood to the children, creating the

unbreakable family bond. Organ and blood donations continue ones essence, preventing ultimate
death through continuing one in others.
Post-colonial Zimbabwe takes bones very seriously. Bones represent ancestral spirit and
their presence in society (Fontein 424-425). When bones resurface in Zimbabwe it is taken as a
sign that there are lost spirits trying to return home. These spirits want to return to the land of
their ancestors so that they too can become an ancestor. Becoming an ancestor allows an
individual to watch over their living kin; essentially they escape death by being a present spirit
in their kins lives (Fontein 426). One of the most important things about finding bones is being
able to properly identify them. Families want to be able to have their kin to bury. Also, many
spirits become angry when they are not identified. Many times spirit mediums or another
individual will assume the role of the spirit to help identify who the bones belong to. Without
identification, the spirit will not be able to live in the spirit world (Fontein 428). Kinship is really
important when a member of the kin passes away. It is the responsibility of the family members
to give a proper burial. If they fail to do such, they will be haunted by a terrifying spirit (Fontein
436). This demonstrates how ancestral spirits are prominent in the Zimbabwe society and that
they are never truly forgotten after death, unless their bones are not properly returned.
Social structure of kin also plays a role with the issue of death (Lubkemann 192).
Societies, such as the Machazians, see themselves living within spiritual boundaries. The social
structure entails that anyone who is an older member of the kinship is closer to the spirits. Most
importantly was ones own spirit ancestor (Lubkemann 191). Ancestor spirits, or the vadzimu,
watched over their kin to ensure they followed moral ways and that they did not forget their
ancestors. Members of the social structure have obligations to the ancestors to ensure they do not
become angry with them and especially that they are not forgotten (Lubkemann 192). It is

interesting to understand how kinship deals with the issue of death. Many ancestral spirits want
their essence to be remembered and their kin to make them proud. Other aspect of kinship, such
as organ donations help to prevent an individual from truly dying when they do. Also, respect to
the bones of the deceased help spirits return to their ancestral land to become an ancestral spirit.
These ideals are taken very seriously. Kinship helps to ensure that ancestors are not forgotten.

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