Badger Clan

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In Native American social structures, a clan is an interrelated social group whose connections derive from parentage as well as kinship. Clan configurations develop and are expressed uniquely in different indigenous groups, and each tribe is comprised of numerous various clans. Clan names often originate in the natural environment of the tribe’s homeland, and refer to place names, fauna and flora, or significant natural phenomena.

The Badger Clan is one of the clans that make up the Hopi system of kinship. The name is probably a reference to the mammal that is commonly found across Southwestern parts of the U.S. and is considered one of the revered hunting animals according to Hopi lore. A clan by the same name also exists in the Zuni Pueblo.

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