Charles Eastman Quotes
The clan is nothing more than a larger family, with its patriarchal chief as the natural head, and the union of several clans by intermarriage and voluntary connection constitutes the tribe.
Charles Eastman,1858-1939, Santee Dakota Indian physician, writer, lecturer, & reformer, Living in Two Worlds: The American Indian Experience Illustrated
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
By “family” he meant the extended family—the clan—which in most Native American Tribes was the unit of government, economics, and social relationships. Most of the clan memberships were matriarchal in definition—a male marrying a woman of anther clan tended to become a member of her clan, and the children almost always did. The leadership tended to be Patriarchal. See {441932}. One of the reasons that the Native Americans could not withstand the European expansion is that it was very difficult for most clans to form strong alliances with common government, command and control. The Iroquois were the notable exception.
- Born: February 19, 1858
- Died: January 8, 1939
- Nationality: Native American (Sioux)
- Profession: Author
Charles Alexander Eastman was a Santee Dakota physician educated at Boston University, writer, national lecturer, and reformer. In the early 20th century, he was "one of the most prolific authors and speakers on Sioux ethnohistory and American Indian affairs."
