Secret societies

“Secret societies” are unions to which all or part of a community’s members were accepted despite their clan affiliation and place of living except children. In some cases almost all adult males of a community were members of such union. In other – these were only noble people of high status, valiant warriors or sorcerers and wizards. Usually such secret societies united men only. Much more rarely, in particular in California, there existed special women’s societies, or elderly women of high rank were occasionally accepted to male societies.

Ritual costume of the California Indians made of condor.		Mannequin "Ceremonial wear of the California Indians made of raven feathers"