In the social organization of the Wyandots four groups arerecognized—the family, the gens, the phratry, and thetribe.
The family, as the term is here used, is nearly synonymous withthe 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, ofpoles interwoven with bark. The fire is placed in line along thecenter, and is usually built for two families, one occupying theplace on each side of the fire.
The head of the family is a woman.
The gens is an organized body of consanguineal kindred in thefemale line. “The woman carries the gens,” is theformulated statement by which a Wyandot expresses the idea thatdescent is in the female line. Each gens has the name of someanimal, the ancient of such animal being its tutelar god. Up to thetime that the tribe left Ohio, eleven gentes were recognized, asfollows:
Deer, Bear, Highland Turtle (striped), Highland Turtle (black),Mud Turtle, Smooth Large Turtle, Hawk, Beaver, Wolf, Sea Snake, andPorcupine.
In speaking of an individual he is said to be a wolf, a bear, ora deer, as the case may be, meaning thereby that he belongs to thatgens; but in speaking of the body of people comprising a gens, theyare said to be relatives of the wolf, the bear, or the deer, as thecase may be.
There is a body of names belonging to each gens, so that eachperson’s name indicates the gens to which he belongs. Thesenames are [pg 60]derived from the characteristics,habits, attitudes, or mythologic stories connected with, thetutelar god.
The following schedule presents the name of a man and a woman ineach gens, as illustrating this statement:
| Wun-dát | English. | |
|---|---|---|
| Man of Deer gens | De-wa-tí-re | Lean Deer. |
| Woman of Deer gens | A-ya-jin-ta | Spotted Fawn. |
| Man of Bear gens | A-tu-e-tĕs | Long Claws. |
| Woman of Bear gens | Tsá-maⁿ-da-ka-é | Grunting for her Young. |
| Man of Striped Turtle gens | Ta-há-soⁿ-ta-ra-ta-se | Going Around the Lake. |
| Woman of Striped Turtle gens | Tso-we-yuñ-kyu | Gone from the Water. |
| Man of Mud Turtle gens | Sha-yän-tsu-wat′ | Hard Skull. |
| Woman of Mud Turtle gens | Yaⁿ-däc-u-räs | Finding Sand Beach. |
| Man of Smooth Large Turtle gens | Huⁿ′-du-cu-tá | Throwing Sand. |
| Woman of Smooth Large Turtle gens | Tsu-ca-eⁿ | Slow Walker. |
| Man of Wolf gens | Ha-ró-uⁿ-yû | One who goes about in the Dark; a Prowler. |
| Woman of Wolf gens | Yaⁿ-di-no | Always Hungry. |
| Man of Snake gens | Hu-ta-hú-sa | Sitting in curled Position. |
| Woman of Snake gens | Di-jé-rons | One who Ripples the Water. |
| Man of Porcupine gens | Haⁿ-dú-tuⁿ |