How did the leaders of a tribe rule and how was their way of life communal?

Answer 1

First it must be understood that native American cultures were totally unlike European and white American culture - the concept of "ruling" was virtually unknown throughout most of the tribes and white people are usually unable to understand the native concept of chieftainship.

Most tribes did not have an overall head chief until such things were imposed by the white government. Taking the Algonquin tribe of the Ottawa river valley in Canada as an example, the tribe never came together in one place, but was split into very many small bands who lived, hunted and travelled together under their own chiefs. Having a tribal "ruler" made no sense at all in that situation.

Chiefs at different grades were usually men of proven ability in hunting and warfare who gradually built up a following of friends and relatives; if they showed themselves to have great supernatural protection and good luck as well, others would add themselves to that following. But, if anything went wrong or if they disagreed with decisions, people were free to leave the band and go to join the followers of another chief or set up a completely new band (or even a new tribe) if they chose to do that.

Some tribes, such as the Cheyenne of the Great Plains, were governed by a council of 44 chiefs selected from each of the 10 bands of the tribe. There were also war chiefs heading the many warrior societies. There was no tribal chief.

Chieftainship was not like the white concept of kings or army ranks and chiefs could be disobeyed and ignored if they were disliked.

Among the Crows, a young warrior would first aspire to be a war party helper, then a member of a war party, then a scout for a war party, then a leader of scouts, then a war party leader (pipe carrier), then a temporary camp chief (during four trial moves of camp), then a member of the council, then "One Who Owns the Camp" (leader of the hunting band). He must also perform specific war deeds and receive a medicine vision from the spirit world or he would never be accepted as a worthy leader.

Every tribe was different and it is wrong to generalise about communal living (or about the way chiefs were selected); but in warfare and hunting the men worked together to obtain food, women gathered wild plant foods communally for the benefit of the band.