Clan Mothers, or Iakoianes,“Government.” Haudenosaunee Confederacy, May 2, 2018. https://www.haudenosauneeconfederacy.com/government/. are a part of the Haudenosaunee government. Clan Mothers have the power to choose the successor of a

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

or depose a chief if he is believed to be behaving improperly. The title of Clan Mother is passed down along hereditary lines, going first to an oldest sister. If there is no older sister, then the title is given to the oldest daughter. In addition to selecting chiefs, Clan Mothers also name children in the clan and make sure that when two people are married, they are not from the same clan. According to the Confederacy’s history, the first Clan Mother was Jigonsaseh, who, along with Hiawatha and the

Great Peacemaker The Great Peacemaker (''Skén:nen rahá:wi'' kʌ̃.nːʌ̃.ɾahaːwiin Mohawk), sometimes referred to as Deganawida or Tekanawí:ta (as a mark of respect, some Iroquois avoid using his personal name except in special circumstances) was by tradit ...

, created the Haudenosaunee government around the 12th century. In the past, the leader of the Clan Mothers was named after her.

List of current Clan Mothers as of 2023

References

Oral tradition Traditional knowledge Clan Mother Clan Mother American spiritual teachers Iroquois Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands First Nations in Ontario First Nations in Quebec Native American tribes in New York (state)

List of current Clan Mothers as of 2023

See also

References