▁successor ▁was ▁chosen ▁by ▁the ▁senior ▁woman ▁of ▁his ▁tribe ▁in ▁consult ation ▁with ▁other ▁female ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁cl an ; ▁property ▁and ▁her edit ary ▁leadership ▁were ▁passed ▁mat ril ine ally . ▁Dec isions ▁were ▁not ▁made ▁through ▁voting ▁but ▁through ▁cons ensus ▁decision ▁making , ▁with ▁each ▁s ach em ▁chief ▁holding ▁theoretical ▁v eto ▁power . ▁The ▁On ond aga ▁were ▁the ▁" fire keep ers ", ▁responsible ▁for ▁raising ▁topics ▁to ▁be ▁discussed . ▁They ▁occupied ▁one ▁side ▁of ▁a ▁three - s ided ▁fire ▁( the ▁Moh awk ▁and ▁Sen eca ▁sat ▁on ▁one ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁fire , ▁the ▁One ida ▁and ▁C ay uga ▁sat ▁on ▁the ▁third ▁side .) ▁ ▁Elizabeth ▁To oker , ▁an ▁anth rop ologist , ▁has ▁said ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁unlikely ▁the ▁US ▁found ing ▁f athers ▁were ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁conf eder acy , ▁as ▁it ▁be ars ▁little ▁res embl ance ▁to ▁the ▁system ▁of ▁govern ance ▁adopted ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁For ▁example , ▁it ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁inherited ▁rather ▁than ▁elected ▁leadership , ▁selected ▁by ▁female ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁tribes , ▁cons ensus ▁decision - making ▁regardless ▁of ▁population ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁tribes , ▁and ▁a ▁single ▁group ▁capable ▁of ▁bringing ▁matters ▁before ▁the ▁legisl ative ▁body . ▁ ▁Long - distance ▁trad ing ▁did ▁not ▁prevent ▁war fare ▁and ▁disp lacement ▁among ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les , ▁and ▁their ▁or al ▁histor ies ▁tell ▁of ▁numerous ▁migr ations ▁to ▁the