Family Organization
As mentioned on the Clans page, this system is purely matrilineal. This means that the mother determines the clan of her child rather than the father. This is vastly different from European societies of the time. Even more contrastive is the role of the father in his child's life. In Cherokee society, the father of the child is not considered to be related to the child. This is due to the fact that he does not originate from the same clan. The main purpose of the biological father to a child is the provision of food and shelter. The guidance characteristic common to a father-child relationship is given to the uncle. This is because the mother's brother originated from the same clan as the child. Therefore, the uncle and son are related whereas the father and son are not
Although the father is not considered related to the family, he does have a role in the home. It is his duty to provide his family with the food and shelter that are necessary. Therefore, he will hunt to feed his family. In Cherokee society, the mother runs the home. She takes care of the children, gardens, cooks, and many other activities to ensure the smooth running of a household. All in all, the mother of a family takes care of the household while the father provides for it.
Although the father is not considered related to the family, he does have a role in the home. It is his duty to provide his family with the food and shelter that are necessary. Therefore, he will hunt to feed his family. In Cherokee society, the mother runs the home. She takes care of the children, gardens, cooks, and many other activities to ensure the smooth running of a household. All in all, the mother of a family takes care of the household while the father provides for it.