Clan Mothers, or Iakoianes,[1] are a part of the Haudenosaunee government.
[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] 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.