THE GENS.

The gens is an organized body of consanguineal kindred in the female line. “The woman carries the gens,” is the formulated statement by which a Wyandot expresses the idea that descent is in the female line. Each gens has the name of some animal, the ancient of such animal being its tutelar god. Up to the time that the tribe left Ohio, eleven gentes were recognized, as follows:

Deer, Bear, Highland Turtle (striped), Highland Turtle (black), Mud Turtle, Smooth Large Turtle, Hawk, Beaver, Wolf, Sea Snake, and Porcupine.

In speaking of an individual he is said to be a wolf, a bear, or a deer, as the case may be, meaning thereby that he belongs to that gens; but in speaking of the body of people comprising a gens, they are said to be relatives of the wolf, the bear, or the deer, as the case may be.

There is a body of names belonging to each gens, so that each person’s name indicates the gens to which he belongs. These names are derived from the characteristics, habits, attitudes, or mythologic stories connected with, the tutelar god.

The following schedule presents the name of a man and a woman in each gens, as illustrating this statement:

	Wun-dát	English.
Man of Deer gens	De-wa-tí-re	Lean Deer.
Woman of Deer gens	A-ya-jin-ta	Spotted Fawn.
Man of Bear gens	A-tu-e-tĕs	Long Claws.
Woman of Bear gens	Tsá-maⁿ-da-ka-é	Grunting for her Young.
Man of Striped Turtle gens	Ta-há-soⁿ-ta-ra-ta-se	Going Around the Lake.
Woman of Striped Turtle gens	Tso-we-yuñ-kyu	Gone from the Water.
Man of Mud Turtle gens	Sha-yän-tsu-wat′	Hard Skull.
Woman of Mud Turtle gens	Yaⁿ-däc-u-räs	Finding Sand Beach.
Man of Smooth Large Turtle gens	Huⁿ′-du-cu-tá	Throwing Sand.
Woman of Smooth Large Turtle gens	Tsu-ca-eⁿ	Slow Walker.
Man of Wolf gens	Ha-ró-uⁿ-yû	One who goes about in the Dark; a Prowler.
Woman of Wolf gens	Yaⁿ-di-no	Always Hungry.
Man of Snake gens	Hu-ta-hú-sa	Sitting in curled Position.
Woman of Snake gens	Di-jé-rons	One who Ripples the Water.
Man of Porcupine gens	Haⁿ-dú-tuⁿ	The one who puts up Quills.
Woman of Porcupine gens	Ké-ya-runs-kwa	Good-Sighted.