resulting children belong to the clan of their mother (not their father). Because Laura, Tayo's mother and Auntie's sister is dead, care of young Tayo is relinquished to Laura's sister and mother, Auntie and Grandma, and Auntie is then obligated to raise Tayo as her own. In matriarchal societies and in Ceremony, if you are a woman, and older than the rest of the women in your family, you have the final say in every aspect of the family's life. In Ceremony, Grandma and Auntie have some struggles on what should be done about Tayo's illness, but in the end it is always Grandma who decides. Grandma suggests to Auntie that a medicine man is needed to heal Tayo. Although Auntie is reluctant, she agrees, and the medicine man comes and tries to help Tayo heal from his shell shock. In fact, there are multiple examples of Auntie and Old Grandma not agreeing on the right course of action throughout the novel. Though it is not stated explicitly, ultimately the way Old Grandma felt it should be handled is always how it ends up. Including when Tayo wanted to go off to war. Though Auntie was fine with Rocky going, there was an understanding that Tayo was meant to stay and help around the farm. In the end, Old Grandma told Auntie to let him go, and he went. Night Swan is another significant female character in Ceremony, who represents both sexual agency and maternal teachings as a part of Tayo's journey to healing. She is introduced as Uncle Josiah's archetypal mistress lover at first, but also briefly becomes Tayo's lover and introduction to women as sexual beings. All the same, Tayo refers to Night Swan as naiya, or mother. Another clear example in Ceremony of this matriarchal culture or hierarchy is when Tayo's uncle, Josiah, saves money of his own for 25 years to buy his herd of cattle, at Night Swan's urging. This example makes it clear that the women of the family have control of the money, evidenced by the fact that Auntie makes a certain comment to her brother Josiah about how he is wasting his 25 year's worth of money ($500) on the herd. Along with this representation of matriarchy in the Laguna culture, the poems, creation stories, and healing stories throughout the novel all center around a woman or woman figure including Spider woman,