moiety

kinship

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June 30, 2026

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A moiety system divides a society into two complementary parts, often exogamous (outmarrying) and tracing descent through one parent's line. These moieties typically have reciprocal roles and responsibilities, reflecting cultural myths and folklore. For example, in Tlingit culture, the Raven and Wolf moieties traditionally handled tasks like funeral preparations for each other.1

While sometimes used loosely for any two divisions, moiety systems are distinct from phratries (sets of three or more clans) and clans (groups emphasizing common ancestry). Matrilineal moieties, tracing kinship through the female line, are more common than patrilineal ones. These divisions promote social cohesion by organizing people into groups with shared duties, rights, competition, and cooperation.1

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Native American dance
Socially determined roles in dance
…of the Iroquois, between the moieties, the complementary divisions of the tribe based either on kinship or on ceremonial function. In all Iroquois dances, specific traditions decree the nature and degree of male and female participation and whether they dance simultaneously but separately or in pairs or other combinations. The…
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…of the Iroquois, between the moieties, the complementary divisions of the tribe based either on kinship or on ceremonial function. In all Iroquois dances, specific traditions decree the nature and degree of male and female participation and whether they dance simultaneously but separately or in pairs or other combinations. The…
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Northeast Indian
Kinship and family life
…clans into larger units called moieties (when the clans were evenly distributed) or phratries (when the clans were unevenly distributed); these larger groups had reciprocal obligations. Among many Iroquoians, for example, an important moiety responsibility was to bury the dead of the opposite group.
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…clans into larger units called moieties (when the clans were evenly distributed) or phratries (when the clans were unevenly distributed); these larger groups had reciprocal obligations. Among many Iroquoians, for example, an important moiety responsibility was to bury the dead of the opposite group.
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Tlingit
…belonged to one of two moieties, the largest kin group. Each moiety comprised several clans, and the members of a given clan attributed their origin to a common legendary ancestor. The most basic and important organizational level was the lineage, an extended family group related through maternal descent. Each lineage…
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…belonged to one of two moieties, the largest kin group. Each moiety comprised several clans, and the members of a given clan attributed their origin to a common legendary ancestor. The most basic and important organizational level was the lineage, an extended family group related through maternal descent. Each lineage…
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