Knowra Clan Clan A social group whose members share perceived descent from a common ancestor. Clans may organize kinship, identity, inheritance, ritual, or political cooperation.
Kinship : A system of social relationships based on real or perceived family connections. Clans organize relationships through shared descent and recognized family ties.
Totemism : A system of social or religious relations linking groups with particular animals, plants, or other symbols. Some clans use a shared totem to express group identity and ancestral connections.
Tribe : A social and political group whose members share a collective identity, often organized through kinship and local communities. The terms overlap, but a tribe may contain several clans and broader institutions.
Scottish clan : A kinship and territorial community historically associated with a Scottish chief and shared surname or allegiance. Scottish clans illustrate how descent, leadership, territory, and political loyalty can combine.
Lineage : A descent group whose members trace ancestry through a defined line of relatives. Lineage provides one way a clan can trace membership from a common ancestor.
Exogamy : A rule or practice requiring marriage outside a defined social group. Clan membership can determine which partners are prohibited or preferred.
Moiety : One of two major divisions into which a society is organized, often for marriage or ceremonial purposes. A moiety divides a society into two large sections, unlike a clan's descent-based membership.
Iroquois clans : Matrilineal kin groups among the Haudenosaunee, including the Bear, Wolf, and Turtle clans. Their matrilineal organization shows how clan descent can pass through women.
Descent group : A social group whose membership is defined by tracing descent from an ancestor. Clans are one form of group organized around claimed common descent.
Inheritance : The transmission of property, titles, or rights after a person's death. In some societies, clan affiliation helps determine who inherits property or status.
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