A council circle is a distinctive feature at the center of some tribal communities in North America.
A talking stick, or other significant or impromptu object, is passed around the circle, and only the circle member holding the stick is allowed to speak, though he or she may allow others to interject.
Talking sticks in the context of the council circle may have been used pre-historically by indigenous peoples to create egalitarian forums.
[citation needed] Photographs show that some talking sticks were very tall, suggesting that circle participants would have stood when speaking.
This article relating to the Indigenous peoples of North America is a stub.