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Clans The most basic unit of Iroquois society is the clan, a group of relatives that traces its ancestry to a single woman. Each clan governs itself and also joins with the other clans in governing the village and the tribe. The Iroquois people organize themselves according to the model of the animal world, and every clan is named for an animal. The Senecas, for example, have eight clans--Bear, Beaver, Deer, Hawk, Heron, Snipe, Turtle, and Wolf. Children are born into their mother's clan and consider all members of their clan relatives. One of the main functions of the clan is to provide kinship with clan members in other villages. For Iroquois men, who historically traveled away from home, food and lodging always awaited them in the home of another clan member regardless of the distance.
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