Native Americans were organized into groups called tribes. Tribes were divided into several clans. These clans acted as a person’s family. Clan members shared property, determined who could marry who, and even determined what work people did. Among the Cherokees, for instance, people in the Blue Clan were often builders, while the men of the Wolf Clan were warriors.
Every town had a council house. In Tennessee this was often a round building placed in a ceremonial location near a plaza. This was a place for the Indians to meet and discuss business. Here members of the tribe would settle arguments among their members, and plan tribal activities such as planting and building new structures.
Once in the council house, Indians would often smoke a pipe, also called a peace pipe. Smoking a peace pipe was an important part of Cherokee negotiations. Europeans, colonists and other Indian tribes were called on to participate. It was part of the Indian beliefs mixing people, ritual and personal commitment.
Europeans were amazed by what they saw as government in the tribes. They were also surprised to learn that Indian political leaders had no real power to make people obey them. Indians of all Southeastern tribes, except perhaps the Natchez, governed themselves by consensus, persuasion, and influence. There were no written laws.
Men and women led their people because they were able to convince others to follow them. The chiefs were not kings, who ruled by divine right, but leaders who spoke on behalf of the people. These leaders could be removed if they did not fulfill their duties and promises.
In this activity, your students will read about Indian decision-making process, and then using the same techniques or persuasion, make a group decision.
Select an issue about which a decision needs to be made and about which students are familiar and have opinions. It needs to be an issue on which students might disagree.
