You can learn a lot about a culture by understanding the language and which words have been given meaning.

In Nyikina culture there are two systems of personal relationships - direct family and skin.

Within the direct family, the same word is used for your mother and her sisters, this is the same for your father and his brothers, and all of their children are your siblings.

We also have specific names for our grandparents which plays an important part of the skin system. The skin system informs you on how you relate to the wider community and visitors. Children are the same skin as their Kamirda and Karloo.