Evaluating the Importance of Kinship

Kinship is arguably the primary force that follows many individuals into their death.  It is primarily families that attend funerals and visit the graveyards.  In many cultures, families are taught to worship their ancestors to bring good blessings.  Many family groups even have their own graveyards, mausoleums, or shrines; to ensure that the family stays together in death.  These relations to our past kin are maintained either through curiosity, tradition or belief. 

In our Monument Analysis there were two occurrences of individuals who were possibly related.  The first was of a baby girl buried beside what are assumed to be two of her relatives.  The three graves were surrounded by a stone border inscribed with the family name.  However, the two adult burials have a different identical crucifix shaped headstone where as the baby girl has a square shaped headstone.

 The second occurrence of kinship in our Monument Analysis is far endearing.  This burial contained two twin brothers who were buried side by side.  One was buried when he died as a young child; while the other was buried when he died as an old man.  These two individuals’ deaths were separated by about 60 years.  However, the older individual chose to be buried beside his childhood twin who had predeceased him.  This demonstrates the true importance of kinship and the way it follows individuals into their death.  The reunion of these two brothers shows the important values marked by family.  The final inscription upon this grave read “In memory of Twins” – a sentiment I thought beyond appropriate.

There were other burials in the Cemetery that revealed the importance of Kinship.  The one that affected me (and my group) the most were the Japanese burials found in the South Eastern part of the cemetery.  Many of the Japanese individuals had died very young after migrating to Canada, possibly due to disease. The individuals had all been buried together as if to show their union in Victoria.  Later we read an inscription that informed us the graves had been badly vandalized during the Second World War, which we all found appalling.