Wyandot Government: A Short Study of Tribal Society Bureau of American Ethnology

Excerpt

In the social organization of the Wyandots four groups are recognized—the family, the gens, the phratry, and the tribe.

THE FAMILY.

The family, as the term is here used, is nearly synonymous with the household. It is composed of the persons who occupy one lodge, or, in their permanent wigwams, one section of a communal dwelling. These permanent dwellings are constructed in an oblong form, of poles interwoven with bark. The fire is placed in line along the center, and is usually built for two families, one occupying the place on each side of the fire.

The head of the family is a woman.

The gens is an organized body of consanguineal kindred in the female line. “The woman carries the gens,” is the formulated statement by which a Wyandot expresses the idea that descent is in the female line. Each gens has the name of some animal, the ancient of such animal being its tutelar god. Up to the time that the tribe left Ohio, eleven gentes were recognized, as follows:

Deer, Bear, Highland Turtle (striped), Highland Turtle (black), Mud Turtle, Smooth Large Turtle, Hawk, Beaver, Wolf, Sea Snake, and Porcupine.

In speaking of an individual he is said to be a wolf, a bear, or a deer, as the case may be, meaning thereby that he belongs to that gens; but in speaking of the body of people comprising a gens, they are said to be relatives of the wolf, the bear, or the deer, as the case may be.

There is a body of names belonging to each gens, so that each person’s name indicates the gens to which he belongs. These names are derived from the characteristics, habits, attitudes, or mythologic stories connected with, the tutelar god.

The following schedule presents the name of a man and a woman in each gens, as illustrating this statement:

Man of Deer gensDe-wa-tГѓ­-reLean Deer.Woman of Deer gensA-ya-jin-taSpotted Fawn.Man of Bear gensA-tu-e-tÄ•sLong Claws.Woman of Bear gensTsá-maГўВЃВї-da-ka-éGrunting for her Young.Man of Striped Turtle gensTa-há-soГўВЃВї-ta-ra-ta-seGoing Around the Lake.Woman of Striped Turtle gensTso-we-yuñ-kyuGone from the Water.Man of Mud Turtle gensSha-yän-tsu-wat′Hard Skull.Woman of Mud Turtle gensYaГўВЃВї-däc-u-räsFinding Sand Beach.Man of Smooth Large Turtle gensHuГўВЃВї′-du-cu-táThrowing Sand.Woman of Smooth Large Turtle gensTsu-ca-eГўВЃВїSlow Walker.Man of Wolf gensHa-ró-uГўВЃВї-yûOne who goes about in the Dark; a Prowler.Woman of Wolf gensYaГўВЃВї-di-noAlways Hungry.Man of Snake gensHu-ta-hú-saSitting in curled Position.Woman of Snake gensDi-jé-ronsOne who Ripples the Water.Man of Porcupine gensHaГўВЃВї-dú-tuГўВЃВїThe one who puts up Quills.Woman of Porcupine gensKé-ya-runs-kwaGood-Sighted.

THE PHRATRY.

There are four phratries in the tribe, the three gentes Bear, Deer, and Striped Turtle constituting the first; the Highland Turtle, Black Turtle, and Smooth Large Turtle the second; the Hawk, Beaver, and Wolf the third, and the Sea Snake and Porcupine the fourth.

This unit in their organization has a mythologic basis, and is chiefly used for religious purposes, in the preparation of medicines, and in festivals and games....