How do clans function across different H communities?

• A. When they travel to other H communities they are welcomed by relatives of their same clan.
• B. They are excluded from other communities.
• C. They must adopt a new clan in each community.
• D. They form separate alliances only.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is that clan ties extend across Haudenosaunee communities, creating immediate kinship and hospitality when people travel. Clans are rooted in matrilineal kinship, so a person belongs to the same clan as their mother, and that clan network travels with them across communities. When someone from a Haudenosaunee town visits another town, relatives who share that same clan in the hosting community are expected to welcome and assist them. This built-in guest-right system reflects the way clan ties bind members together beyond any one village and ensure support and hospitality wherever they go. The other possibilities don’t fit because travelers aren’t excluded, clan membership isn’t re-assigned with each move, and clans aren’t solely about forming separate alliances—they’re ongoing kinship connections that cross community lines.