How was the Natchez Indian nation organized in the past?
The Natchez were one of the few North American Indian tribes who were ruled by a king. The Natchez king was called the Great Sun, because the Natchez people believed he was descended from the sun. Unlike European kings, Natchez royalty was traced through the mother’s bloodline, not the father’s. So the son of the Great Sun would not become the next Great Sun — his oldest sister’s son would. The Natchez Great Sun was an absolute ruler, which means that he had the power to make all the decisions for the tribe himself. In reality, though, the Great Sun usually had to listen to the opinions of a council of warriors, priests, and other important Natchez men, because he needed their support. What language did the Natchez speak? They spoke their native Natchez language, but nobody speaks this language in their daily life anymore. When the Natchez refugees joined other tribes like the Creeks and Cherokees, they began speaking the languages used by those tribes. Some Natchez people today speak
