At the time we speak of, the affairs of each tribe were administered by an assembly of delegates from all its clans who at the same time arbitrated inevitable disputes between the several blood-relations.
Each clan managed its own affairs, of which no one outside of its members needed to know anything.

Since the husbands always belonged to a different consanguine group from their wives, and the children followed their mother's line of descent, the family was permanently divided.
There was really no family in our sense of the word.

The Indian has an individual name only.

He is, in addition, distinguished by the name of his clan, which in turn has its proper cognomen.

The affairs of the father's clan did not concern his wife or his children, whereas a neighbour might be his confidant on such matters.