How did Pueblo peoples organize their villages before Spanish colonization?

Before Spanish colonization, Pueblo peoples lived in compact, permanent villages that functioned as autonomous political units. Each of the more than 70 villages was governed by a council composed of the heads of religious societies.12

Social and political organization was deeply rooted in kinship and ceremonial structures:

• Kinship Systems: Families were typically organized into extended households. Depending on the group, kinship was reckoned matrilineally, patrilineally, or bilaterally. These lineages were grouped into larger units known as clans or moieties.21
• Corporate Groups: Clans and moieties acted as corporate entities responsible for managing community life, including the delegation of ritual and mundane tasks. For example, in some eastern villages, moieties like the "Summer People" and "Winter People" alternated responsibility for village administration by season.2
• Ceremonial Life: Social and political life centered on kivas, which served as both ritual chambers and venues for political meetings. Secret societies, often based in these kivas, played a vital role in social interaction, cultural transmission, and governance, with specific responsibilities such as policing, healing, or religious ritual.132