The draqa family is matrilineal. All of the people that you would consider to be family would be related to your mother. The two exceptions might be the midwife who birthed you (sawe), and possibly your father, but that would be only if you had the misfortune of actually knowing who your father was.
When a draqa mother (beas) is in the last few months of her pregnancy, she chooses a sawe for the infant (batu). The sawe is usually the mother's most intimate acquaintance at the time- a relative or friend. All draqa are trained in the art of midwifery from an early age. They all witness many births and are generally competent at this. Thus, a sawe could be male, female, adult or child.
It is a great honor to be asked to be the sawe of someone's child; and it is seen as a serious insult to refuse this honor without an extremely good excuse. With the honor comes the responsibility of being something akin to the new mother's handmaiden for a short while, until after the birthing ceremony is complete.
The birthing ceremony is really a ceremony which celebrates the grandmother (axba) of the infant, more so than the mother or even the infant itself. It begins a few weeks before the mother expects the pregnancy to end. At this time she moves into the temple, where she spends more time in deep meditation that usual. Through these special meditations she tries to unify with the new life within her as well as the universe (fehi), which they are part of.
During this time, the sawe attends to most of the new mother's needs. Both sawe and grandmother must prepare themselves for the special occasion through meditations. The grandmother begins to visit the expectant mother regularly, and informs the woman's bó'o (brothers and sisters) that the time is nearing. It is considered rather insulting not to be present when your bó'o is having a child, so they all make a point to return to the grandmother's home, visiting their sister regularly at the temple.
At the time of birth, the grandmother, bó'o and sawe all should be present. The mother going into labor reclines in a birthing pool at the temple, joined by the infant's sawe and the grandmother. Upon delivery, the sawe presents the newborn to its mother, who after several moments of adoration presents the infant to the grandmother.
At this point, the grandmother carries the newborn out of the pool, while the sawe carries the mother out of the pool. The family then relaxes. The bó'o take turns massaging and caressing their sister, singing her soothing songs. They also sing congratulations to the mother and grandmother. This continues long after the mother has fallen asleep, at which point all proceed to the grandmother's house, carrying the sleeping mother. They then feast and celebrate, taking care not to wake the new mother.
When she does wake up, the celebration is immediately concluded. She is greeted warmly and fed. No others may eat while she is being fed. Instead, they must serve her and tend to her comfort. At the point of her awaking, the sawe is no longer responsible to wait hand and foot on the new mother, but assumes a whole new set of responsibilities to the infant.
After the new mother's first meal, all fast for the rest of the day. The next sunset signals the ending of the birthing ceremony. There is a group meditation led by the new mother. The next morning, she will return to her own home with the infant and the sawe. The sawe will return to her own home within a few days or weeks.
If it was her first child, then it is now time for her to establish her own household. Her bó'o, friends and the sawe aid her in building a home. When it is complete, she must throw a celebration thanking her helpers. This celebration also honors her new status as the head of a household.
The mother has few responsibilities toward the child besides nursing it and providing it with a home. Grandmother is the one who really raises the child. She is the one who disciplines and teaches the child the ways of the draqa people. The mother primarily nurtures the child's emotional and spiritual development. She is also the one that spoils the child, and is typically a child's most-adored friend and confidant. The sawe becomes a special sort of mentor and friend of the child, imparting wisdom, support and a helping-hand. The sawe is the one that the child can ask for as mediator when there is some problem with the mother or grandmother.
A child's closest connection, however is with the bó'o. This relationship is considered the closest and carries with it the greatest weight of familial obligation. The band of brothers and sisters typically think of themselves as a unit rather than individuals. Most material goods and food are shared among bó'o, and one may share any idea or feeling without fear of ridicule or animosity from the bó'o. As a unit they grow together, teach each other, protect and aid each other, and first explore their human curiosities together.
The other important relationships are (ewu), (ówas) and (tiowa). The ewu are the bó'o of a child's mother. The reciprocal relations are also ewu. Thus, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews are all ewu. Likewise, the ówas relationship is that of a child's grandmother's bó'o and the reciprocal. Thus grand-aunts, grand-uncles, grand-nieces and grand-nephews are all ówas.
The tiowa are any relatives not directly in a child's line. Except for siblings (bó'o) and offspring (twi), all relatives directly in a child's line are called (beas), which generally means "mother". Interestingly enough, when a woman is pregnant she is called beas by the whole society. When she is not, only her twi will call refer to her as beas. Usually, however a draqa addresses her mother as (bibi) and her grandmother as (axba), although both are beas in relationship to her. A mother, on the other hand, typically addresses and refers to her own children as "infant" (batu) all of their lives.
When a mother dies before all of her children have grown up and/or moved out of her house, the next oldest child becomes the "mother" of the house. This produces the odd development of males occasionally becoming the family matriarch. After no-one is left to be the matriarch of a household, the house is ritually "re-christened" into the community, available to the first lucky young mother establishing a new household.