People of the Longhouse
Clans and Clan Mothers
An Iroquoian clan was a social
group linked by descent through the female line. Women and
children living within a longhouse all belonged to the same
clan, while the men belonged to the various clans into which
they were born. A person's clan links extended beyond the
longhouse to other houses or villages. Clan Mothers were the
senior women in a longhouse or clan, and had important social
and political roles.
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Three generations of Iroquoian women from the Six Nations
Reserve: Mrs. David Jack with her daughter and grand-daughter,
1912, photograph by Frederick W. Waugh
Canadian Museum of Civilization, 17121, CD95-816-013
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