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Hoolimana is the Xzeejee word that roughly translates to "nanny" or "auntie". A hoolimana may or may not be directly related to the child they care for - and in some cases they aren't even related at all. However, a child's hoolimana still cares for them like their own, and dedicate their own lives to teaching, training, and caring for the children of the laxzeebateneon - Family Who Shares A Hearth.

The institution of "family" on Auw'm has necessarily evolved in a different direction than on Terra. The idea of a "core" family (two parents with offspring) is very rare, and even the idea of the "satellite" family (a unit of "core" families that are made up of grandparents, children, and grand-children) is so much more complex that it can hardly be recognized as being a similar concept. A "family" - laxzeebateneon - really only includes the adult members; and the adults are all married together in a sort of successive group marriage. New members are slowly added to the marriage from outside families as older members die. Children are wards and "pets" of the family, but once they reach adolescents they are heavily encouraged to leave the family and go out into the world to train for life in their own laxzeebateneon.

It is the hoolimana's job to make sure that children grow up to be strong, intelligent, courageous, and curious young adults. This one teaches a young male about different kinds of shells from different kinds of sea-snails. Children often wear bells around their necks to ward off evil spirits - and to help their hoolimana locate them if they stray out of visual range.
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Anyway, this is another colored pencil piece I did at work to practice. It was slightly more guided but it initially started as a sketch of the female Xzeejee's shoulder. Then I went from there.

One of these days I'll do a picture that I actually plan from start to end