Astheclassicformofthisoriginalgens，MorgantakesthegensamongtheIroquois，andespeciallyintheSenecatribe。Inthistribethereareeightgentes，namedafteranimals：1Wolf，2Bear，3Turtle，4Beaver，5Deer，6Snipe，7Heron，8Hawk。Ineverygensthefollowingcustomsareobserved：
1。Thegenselectsitssachemheadofthegensinpeaceanditschiefleaderinwar。Thesachemhadtobechosenfromamongthemembersofthegens，andhisofficewashereditarywithinthegens，inthesensethatithadtobefilledimmediatelyasoftenasavacancyoccurred。themilitaryleadercouldbechosenfromoutsidethegens，andforatimetheofficemightevenbevacant。Asonwasneverchosentosucceedhisfatherassachem，sincemother-rightprevailedamongtheIroquoisandthesonconsequentlybelongedtoadifferentgens。buttheofficemightandoftendidpasstoabrotheroftheprevioussachemortohissister’sson。Allvotedintheelections，bothmenandwomen。Theelection，however，stillrequiredtheconfirmationofthesevenremaininggentes，andonlythenwasthenewsachemceremoniallyinvestedwithhisofficebythecommoncouncilofthewholeIroquoisconfederacy。Thesignificanceofthiswillappearlater。Theauthorityofthesachemwithinthegenswaspaternal，andpurelymoralincharacter。hehadnomeansofcoercion。ByvirtueofhisofficehewasalsoamemberofthetribalcounciloftheSenecasandalsoofthefederalcouncilofalltheIroquois。Thewar-chiefcouldonlygiveordersonmilitaryexpeditions。
2。Thegensdeposesthesachemandwar-chiefatwill。Thisalsoisdonebymenandwomenjointly。Afterasachemorchiefhadbeendeposed，theybecamesimplebraves，privatepersons，liketheothermembers。Thetribalcouncilalsohadthepowertodeposesachems，evenagainstthewillofthegens。
3。Nomemberispermittedtomarrywithinthegens。Thisisthefundamentallawofthegens，thebondwhichholdsittogether。Itisthenegativeexpressionoftheverypositivebloodrelationship，byvirtueofwhichtheindividualsitcomprisesbecomeagens。ByhisdiscoveryofthissimplefactMorganhasrevealedforthefirsttimethenatureofthegens。Howlittlethegenswasunderstoodbeforeisobviousfromtheearlierreportsaboutsavagesandbarbarians，inwhichthevariousbodiesoutofwhichthegentileorganizationiscomposedareignorantlyandindiscriminatelyreferredtoastribe，clan，thum，andsoforth，andthensometimesdesignatedasbodieswithinwhichmarriageisprohibited。ThuswascreatedthehopelessconfusionwhichgaveMr。McLennanhischancetoappearasNapoleon，establishingorderbyhisdecree：Alltribesaredividedintothosewithinwhichmarriageisprohibitedexogamousandthosewithinwhichitispermittedendogamous。Havingnowmadethemuddlecomplete，hecouldgivehimselfuptotheprofoundestinquiriesastowhichofhistwoabsurdclasseswastheolderexogamyorendogamy。Allthisnonsensepromptlystoppedofitselfwiththediscoveryofthegensandofitsbasisinconsanguinity，involvingtheexclusionofitsmembersfromintermarriagewithoneanother。ItgoeswithoutsayingthatatthestageatwhichwefindtheIroquoistheprohibitionofmarriagewithinthegenswasstringentlyobserved。
4。Thepropertyofdeceasedpersonspassedtotheothermembersofthegens。ithadtoremaininthegens。AsanIroquoishadonlythingsoflittlevaluetoleave，theinheritancewassharedbyhisnearestgentilerelations。inthecaseofaman，byhisownbrothersandsistersandmaternaluncle。inthecaseofawoman，byherchildrenandownsisters，butnotbyherbrothers。Forthisreasonmanandwifecouldnotinheritfromoneanother，norchildrenfromtheirfather。