Iksas
Historical and traditional system of sociopoltical organization amongst the Choctaw people / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Iksa, a type of clan, was the traditional constituent element structuring the social and political society of the Choctaw nation. The same word is used to describe clans in the Chickasaw language, however, while often self-identified as "sister-" or "brother" tribes,[1][2][3] the manifestation of Iksas in the Choctaw nation does not necessarily immediately mirror those of the Chickasaw.[4] Similarly to many other Muskogean tribes, such as the Cherokee and the Muscogee, the Choctaw clans were matrilineal and matrilocal, which exhibited important implications on gender roles. Historically, the clans were divided into either one of two groups: the Imoklasha and Iholahata.[5] Therewithin, the clans were primarily composed of those who were considered to descend from a specific ancestor or ancestral group. The Choctaw stated to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions that the "nation would not exist" without the presence of iksa.[6] Aside from its importance within families, the clans also shaped and directed ceremonies and legal practices.[7][8]