In the days of old, the Long House was the place that the women would go to work out the problems of the clan and village.

     Inside the front doorway was the main large circle of the mother of the long house, with her spirit fire and fire keeper. After her, on each side, was smaller circle and spirit fire for each of the women of the long house. This was for their personal use when they were trying to make up their minds on how they thought things should be done.

     All the way in the back of the Long House, it was used for cooking meals for the mothers and nursing their young children. The younger girls would help look after the small children when the mothers of the Long House were trying to work out problems of the clan and village. It also had a small door in the back that would go to the woods, so they could go to the bathroom in the woods.

     When the women of the Long House reached an idea, they would go and be seated in the large circle of the mother of the Long House; she would say nothing till all were there. Then each would tell what they thought about the problem and how they should fix it. They would talk till they reached one idea and then the mother of the long house would go and have a talk with the sub chiefs. The sub chiefs would talk till they had one idea, then they sent word to the mothers of the long house to come to the chief circle in front of his lodge. The the head of the mothers of the Long House would tell the chief what they thought  should be done, how they should go about doing it and then the head of the sub chiefs would do the same thing. At this time the chief would go into his lodge to think about what the mothers of the long house said and the things that the sub chief said. Sometimes it took hours and sometimes it took days but when the chief came out again, he would have to sell the mother of the long house and the sub chiefs on the ideas; he had to do the thing that they wished done. If he was unable to sell them on his ideas, he could be removed as chief but if he has always been very good at getting the job done and not letting the clan down, the mothers of the long house would give him their support even if the sub chief did not agree, for the mothers of the long house was a very powerful voice and could not be easily pushed aside. The women of the village always carried a strong voice in what took place in the clan and village.