The social organization of all the Indian nations of America is based
upon the existence of the _tribe_. The tribe itself is based upon
smaller units of individuals which are joined together by a common
tie; this tie is either the archaic maternal descent, or the more
modern tie of paternal descent, or a combination of both. Among the
Indians of North America east of the Rocky mountains, and also among
many tribes west of them, the single groups descending from the same
male or female ancestor form each a _gens_ provided with a proper name
or _totem_ generally recalling the name of an animal.
Among the Creeks, Seminoles and all the other Maskoki tribes descent
was in the female line. Every child born belonged to the gens of its
mother, and not to that of its father, for no man could marry into his
own gens. In case of the father's death or incapacity the children
were cared for by the nearest relatives of the mother. Some public
officers could be selected only from certain gentes, among which such
a privilege had become hereditary. Regulations like these also
controlled the warrior class and exercised a profound influence upon
the government and history of the single tribes, and it often gave a
too prominent position to some gentes in certain tribes, to the
detriment or exclusion of others. The Hitchiti and Creek totems were
the same.
The administration of public affairs in the Creek nation can be
studied to best advantage by dividing the dates on hand into three
sections: the civil government of the Creek tribe; the warrior class;
the confederacy and its government. What we give below will at least
suffice to give readers a better understanding of some points in the
migration legend. But before we enter upon these points, let us
consider the basis of Indian social life, the _gens_.