How were matrilineal clans organized among western Pueblo peoples?

Among western Pueblo peoples, matrilineal clans were organized as corporate groups that played a central role in both social and religious life. These clans were formed by combining several related lineages—kin groups that traced their ancestry to a known figure in the past. Many villages contained dozens of these clans, which were frequently named after plants, animals, or other natural phenomena.1

The organization of these clans included several key features:

• Corporate Responsibility: Clans acted as corporate entities responsible for managing specific mundane and ritual tasks, including the sponsorship of ceremonies.1
• Leadership: Within a clan, the oldest active woman typically served as the administrative leader, while her brother acted as the ceremonial leader, overseeing rituals related to the clan's history or traditions.1
• Property and Rituals: Clans often owned specific ritual paraphernalia and land. Among the western Pueblo, secret societies were frequently controlled by particular clans to perform calendrical rituals intended to ensure tribal welfare and rain.12
• Social Harmony: Clan exogamy—the custom of marrying outside one's own clan—helped maintain social relations by ensuring that households included members from different corporate groups.1