Native American Clans

Most of the Native American groups in the United States had subdivisions we call clans. Often a clan contained members who were related in some way. The clans normally took their names from nature in that region, such as bear, wolf, raven, etc.

Usually clans were matriarchal, meaning a child was born into the mother's clan. There were a few exceptions to this. Groups, like the Omaha, Fox, Ojibwa, and Yumans were patriarchal. Normally, a couple from the same clan couldn't marry, and that might include both parents' clans in a few tribes.

Some groups had as many as fifty clans, and others had only a few. The ones who mainly farmed, for whatever reason, were apt to have more. Hunters and gatherers tended to have fewer. For example, the Cherokee had seven, and theirs was a matriarchal system. 

Although the details varied from clan to clan, they were important structures that had far-reaching effects. Clans might own property, hold ceremonies, establish traditions, control the political makeup, dictate societal roles, and mold the culture. They also provided an important sense of belonging and identity.

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