Haudenosaunee Clan Mother

Clan Mothers, or Iakoianes,^[1] are a part of the Haudenosaunee government.^[1] Clan Mothers have the power to choose the successor of a chief or depose a chief if he is believed to be behaving improperly.^[1]

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.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[2] In the past, the leader of the Clan Mothers was named after her.^[2]

List of current Clan Mothers as of 2023

Chief Title[3]	English Name[3]	Clan[3]	Nation[3]
Dyoninho’ga’we’	Evelyn Jonathan	Wolf	Seneca
Ganohgi’da:wi	Janet Hill	Snipe	Seneca
Sadyenawat	Linda Logan	Bear	Seneca
Ga’nogae	Darlene J	Turtle	Seneca
Sag,’jo:wa	Luanne Jamieson	Hawk	Seneca
Sganyadeae:yo	Darlene Jonathan	Turtle	Seneca
Desgahe	Carol Jacobs	Bear	Cayuga
Deyotowehgoh	Lori Froman	Wolf	Cayuga
Hagya;drohne	Julie Bomberry	Turtle	Cayuga
Soyo:wi:s	Pam Tallchief	Bear	Cayuga
Gada:gwa:se	Cora Harris	Bear	Cayuga
Gaji’nodawehe	Janace Henry	Deer	Cayuga
Haga’e,yok	Chris Smoke	Bear	Cayuga
Sganawadih	Eileen Jacobs	Turtle	Onondaga
Sagoge,he:	Karen Webster	Eel	Onondaga
Sodegwa:se,:	Virginia Abrams	Eel	Onondaga
Hoyo:ny,nih:	Francine Bush	Eel	Onondaga
Hahi:hoh	Gloria Thomas	Deer	Onondaga
Gawe,ne,se,:doh	Amy Silversmith	Deer	Onondaga
Honowiyehdi	Josetta Skye	Wolf	Onondaga
Awe’ge,hyat	Lucille Jamieson	Wolf	Onondaga
Honya’daji:wak	Ruby Williams	Wolf	Onondaga
Dehatgahdos	Crystal Laforme	Beaver	Onondaga
Gane’se:he:	Sharon Williams	Wolf	Onondaga
Hodatsehdeh	Beatrice Nicholas	Wolf	Oneida
Ganohgwe’yo:doh	Joanne Summers	Wolf	Oneida
Deyoha’gwe:de	Dawn Chrisjohn	Wolf	Oneida
Sonohse:s	Marlene Green	Turtle	Oneida
Thanahak tha	Marla Summers	Turtle	Oneida
Atya’tantha	Deanna Chrisjohn	Turtle	Oneida
Dehadahohde:yo	Shirley Antone	Bear	Oneida
Hanya’dasa:ye	Andrea Chrisjohn	Bear	Oneida
Howatsadehoh	Mary Sandy	Bear	Oneida
Sahrehowaneh	Angela Elijah	Wolf	Mohawk
Orenrehgowah	Julia Jacobs	Wolf	Mohawk
Dehharagereneh	Louise McDonald-Herne	Bear	Mohawk

See also

• North American Indigenous elder
• Iroquois § Women in society

References

1. “Government.” Haudenosaunee Confederacy, May 2, 2018. https://www.haudenosauneeconfederacy.com/government/.
2. Mann, Barbara; Johansen, Bruce Elliott (2000). Encyclopedia of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 122–131. ISBN 978-0-313-30880-2.
3. Communications. "Current Clan Mothers and Chiefs". Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Retrieved 2023-07-18.