OJIBWAY CLAN SYSTEM
People of all nations in the world essentially have the same basic
needs: food, protection, education, medicine and leadership.
Traditionally, the Ojibway Clan System was created to provide
leadership and to care for these needs. There were seven original
clans and each clan was known by its animal emblem, or totem. The
animal totem symbolized the strength and duties of the clan. The seven
original clans were given a function to serve for their people.
The Crane and the Loon Clans were given the power of Chieftainship.
By working together, these two clans gave the people a balanced
government with each serving as a check on the other.
Between the two Chief Clans was the Fish Clan. The people of the
Fish Clan were the teachers and scholars. They helped children develop
skills and healthy spirits. They also drew on their knowledge to solve
disputes between the leaders of the Crane and Loon Clans.
The Bear Clan members were the strong and steady police and legal
guardians. Bear Clan members spent a lot of time patrolling the land
surrounding the village, and in so doing, they learned which roots,
bark, and plants could be used for medicines to treat the ailments of
their people.
The people of the Hoof Clan were gentle, like the deer and moose or
caribou for whom the clan is named. They cared for others by making
sure the community had proper housing and recreation. The Hoof Clan
people were the poets and pacifists avoiding all harsh words.
The people of the Martin Clan were hunters, food gathers and
warriors of the Ojibway. Long ago, warriors fought to defend their
village or hunting territory. They became known as master strategists
in planning the defense of their people. 
The Bird Clan represented the spiritual leaders of the people and
gave the nation its vision of well-being and its highest development
of the spirit. The people of the Bird Clan were said to possess the
characteristics of the eagle, the head of their clan, in that they
pursued the highest elevations of the mind just as the eagle pursues
the highest elevations of the sky.
To meet all the needs of the nation, the clans worked together and
cooperated to achieve their goals. The Clan System had built in equal
justice, voice, law and order and it reinforced the teachings and
principles of a sacred way of life. Today some people still follow
their clan duties, but, for the most part, the original force and
power of the Clan System has diminished to a degree of almost
non-existence.
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