Haudenosaunee Clan Mother

Clan Mothers, or Iakoianes, are a part of the Haudenosaunee government. Clan Mothers have the power to choose the successor of a chief or depose a chief if he is believed to be behaving improperly.

The title of Clan Mother is passed down along hereditary lines, going first to an oldest sister. If there is no older sister, then the title is given to the oldest daughter. In addition to selecting chiefs, Clan Mothers  also name children in the clan and make sure that when two people are married, they are not from the same clan. According to the Confederacy’s history, the first Clan Mother was Jigonsaseh, who, along with Hiawatha and the Great Peacemaker, created the Haudenosaunee government around the 12th century. In the past, the leader of the Clan Mothers was named after her.