Clan Mother facts for kids

Clan Mother is a special and respected role held by wise women in some Native American groups, especially within their clans. These women were often in charge of choosing important leaders, like tribal chiefs and spiritual guides called Faithkeepers. This title was usually given to older women, or sometimes younger women, who the tribe saw as very wise and respected.

Hopi Clan Mothers

The Hopi people live in what is now northeastern Arizona. In their traditional society, women were seen as very important and respected. They believed in "female superiority," meaning women were considered higher in importance, but men and women still had equal roles in daily life.

Hopi women took part fully in making important decisions for their community. The Hopi people were also "matrilineal," which means family lines were traced through the mother. Their homes were "matrilocal," meaning a husband would move to live with his wife's family.

The Hopi believed that "life is the highest good." They saw the "female principle" as the source of life, active in women and in Mother Earth. Because the Hopi didn't have constant wars or a standing army, they didn't have a strong focus on male power. Women were central to the family and clan systems. For example, a Clan Mother could even change decisions about land if she felt they were unfair. This showed their great power in the community.

Iroquois Clan Mothers

The Iroquois Clan Mother, also known as Oiá:ner (which means "righteous" or "she is good" in the Mohawk language), was responsible for the well-being of her entire clan. She named all the new members of the clan. She also played a key role in suggesting who should be the next Chief. After her nomination, the clan members would decide if that person was right for the job. Clan Mothers were seen as "life givers."

Each Clan Mother had a Faithkeeper who helped with important ceremonies, weddings, funerals, and other rituals. The Clan Mother's position was passed down through her family, usually to her eldest sisters, then other sisters, and then her eldest daughter or other daughters.

The Iroquois had nine clans, divided into three groups:

• Land element: Wolf, Deer, and Bear clans.
• Air element: Heron, Snipe, and Hawk clans.
• Water element: Beaver, Eel, and Turtle clans.

A typical clan in a village might have between 50 and 200 people. Every clan was led by a Clan Mother. Some famous Iroquois leaders were Clan Mothers, like Madam Montour and her daughter French Margaret.

The Great Peacemaker and Women's Roles

The Haudenosaunee League (also known as the Iroquois League) was founded by a prophet called the Great Peacemaker. He brought five nations together around the 12th century. His first follower was a woman named Jigonhsasee, and many of his early supporters were women. Because of this, the role of Clan Mothers was created to honor women's importance.

In Haudenosaunee stories, the universe has two halves that need each other to exist, like east and west. In the same way, men and women were seen as different parts of the world that needed each other to create balance. Women were considered equal to men. The councils of the Clan Mothers had powers equal to the councils of the Chiefs, helping to keep society in harmony.

One Iroquois person explained: "Within our society, we maintain a balance between the responsibilities of the women, the responsibilities of men, of the chiefs and of the faithkeepers. All of our men in between have to keep this balance so that at no time and no place does anyone have more power than the rest; for our leadership to function, all must have equal power. They must speak to one another."

Sky Woman and Mother Earth

In Haudenosaunee stories, the Sky Woman came from the Sky world and fell to what became the Earth. She is seen as the mother of all life in this world. This makes women very respected. Women, as the givers of life, are seen as her heirs and are spiritually connected to "Mother Earth," who provides for all life. The Sky Woman was considered the First Clan Mother.

Because Turtle Island (North America) was created for the Sky Woman, the Haudenosaunee traditionally believed that women owned the land. Farming was women's work, and the main crops—corn, squash, and beans—were known as the "Three Sisters."

One of the laws from the Great Peacemaker stated:

The family line of the People of the Five Nations shall follow the mother's side. Women shall be considered owners of the nation. They shall own the land and the soil. Men and women shall have the status of the mother.

Life Stages and Ceremonies

Clan Mothers also led the "cross-over ceremony," which marked the end of childhood and the beginning of being a teenager. This ceremony involved fasting, teaching, a time of being alone, and then singing and dancing.

The Haudenosaunee saw life as having several stages. Birth was the second stage, and Clan Mothers formally welcomed new babies. When toddlers grew their teeth, it marked the end of infancy and the start of childhood. The cross-over ceremonies were the fourth stage, leading to adulthood. During the fasting part of these ceremonies, Clan Mothers would give advice and encouragement to the young people.

Political Power of Clan Mothers

Historically, Clan Mothers chose the 50 leaders, called sachems, who ran the Haudenosaunee League. This League included the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca nations. Later, the Tuscarora joined, making it the Six Nations. Before naming a chief, the Clan Mother would talk with other senior women in her clan.

The clans were like the local government within the League. Importantly, the clans connected all five (and later six) nations, as each nation had the same nine clans. Clan Mothers also had the power to remove any chief or sachem who wasn't doing their job well, though they had to give three warnings first. This power to choose and remove leaders made sure that women's perspectives were always part of political decisions.

Anyone who wanted to be adopted into a Haudenosaunee family had to be approved by the Clan Mothers. When the Tuscarora wanted to join the League, they had to ask the Clan Mothers for permission, and it took 11 years for it to be granted.

The Iroquois call themselves the Haudenosaunee, which means "the people of the longhouse." They do not like the name "Iroquois," which was given to them by another group and means "killer people."

Clan Mothers and Society

The Clan Mothers were in charge of the different clans that made up the Iroquois League. Because the Iroquois society was "matrilateral," children belonged to their mother's clan. For example, if a mother was from the Bear clan, all her children would also be from the Bear clan. It was not allowed to marry someone from your own mother's clan, so marriages were usually between different clans.

Many Europeans in the past did not understand the power of Clan Mothers. They came from societies where men held all the power and thought that Iroquois chiefs had the same power as European kings, which was not true. In fact, the councils of the Clan Mothers had equal power to the councils of the Chiefs. They met at least once a month, often during a full moon, and more often if there was an emergency.

Clan Mothers traditionally played a role in starting "mourning wars." These were expeditions to take captives who would then be adopted into a family to replace a family member who had died. This helped families heal from their grief. Young men would often go on these wars to prove their bravery.

In 1713, a group of six men from Germany, called Palatines, had to ask a meeting of Clan Mothers for permission to settle on Haudenosaunee land. The Palatine delegates were surprised because they expected to meet male chiefs, but only the Clan Mothers had the power to grant land.

Even famous male leaders like Joseph Brant, a Mohawk chief, gained political power only after marrying a Clan Mother. His sister, Molly Brant, was also a powerful Clan Mother who could rally warriors to fight. An agent for the Indian Department once wrote that "one word from her is more taken notice of by the Five Nations than a thousand from any white man without exception."

Doug George-Kanentiio, an Iroquois writer, explained the role of women: "In our society, women are the center of all things. Nature, we believe, has given women the ability to create; therefore it is only natural that women be in positions of power to protect this function... We traced our clans through women; a child born into the world assumed the clan membership of its mother... Our women decided any and all issues involving territory, including where a community was to be built and how land was to be used... In our political system, we mandated full equality. Our leaders were selected by a caucus of women before the appointments were subject to popular review... Our women not only hold the reins of political and economic power, they also have the right to determine all issues involving the taking of human life. Declarations of war had to be approved by the women, while treaties of peace were subject to their deliberations."