Unlike their European counterparts, the Iroquois women were seen as equals in their tribes. They were given jobs to plant and harvest the food and take care of children.Because they are a martilineal society, the land that moves down each generation goes through the woman, not the man. Being in charge of the land was seen as a natural job for women to have because of their ability to give life.To the Iroquois, women having the job to regulate food seemed like an obvious job they should have. When a couple is married, it is the husband who takes her last name, not the other way around. He would move into the longhouse of his wife's family and belong to her clan just like their children would.
There was also one woman who stood above all and received the most respect in her village, the Clan Mother. Her wisdom was admired by all in the village. She was the one who looked over ceremonies like weddings, funerals and other rituals in the tribe. It was her choice who would be Chief. She would sit in on meetings to make sure the Chief was making decisions that would support the tribe and not just for his benefit. She even had the power to strip the Chief of his authority if she did not approve of the choices he was making. If he was stripped of his power by the Clan Mother it was considered a great shame.
Not only was the Clan Mother in charge of the bigger decisions of the village, there was also a Council of Women that the men had to get approval from if they wanted to go to war. If the council agreed with the battle, they gave their blessing. If it was seen as a bad decision for the village, neither a blessing or food was given to the men. Even in the middle of a war, the council and Clan Mother had the power to stop the war. It was their choice if enemies or prisoners kept their lives.
A part from being the Clan Mother, every woman is given the responsibilty to hold on to the culture and keep it alive. Passed through the generations, stories and traditions of the culture are kept safe for everyone. Women are considered to have a deeper connection to the earth and Mother Nature because of their ability to create life. It only seemed natural for women to have the amount of power they do to keep the society alive and well.