Who typically heads the family unit within a longhouse?

• A. The husband.
• B. The clan mother.
• C. A male elected leader.
• D. The eldest child.

Answer: (B)

In Haudenosaunee longhouses, family life is organized along matrilineal lines, so the person who heads the family unit is the clan mother. She is the senior female leader of the clan and has authority over household matters, welfare, and lineage. The clan mother also oversees the process of selecting and guiding chiefs, reinforcing her central role in both family and clan governance. The husband is part of the household, but not the head of the family unit. A male elected leader governs at the broader political level, not the immediate family. The eldest child is not the head because leadership within the longhouse follows lineage and matrilineal succession through the mother’s line. This is why the clan mother is the best answer.