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In other words, the pueblo is a federation made up of seventeen geographical and political units, in each of which the members recognize that their sanest, ripest wisdom dwells with the men who have had the longest experience in life; and the group of old men sometimes only one man and sometimes a dozen is known as in-tug-tu'-kan, and its wisdom is respected to the degree that it is regularly sought and is accepted as final judgment, being seldom ignored or dishonored.
In such matters as these matters of common defense and offense, matters of religion wherein food supply is concerned custom has long since crystallized into an act of democratic unity what may once have been the result of the councils of all the in-tug-tu'-kan of the pueblo.
Aside from these two pueblo officers the government and control of the pueblo is purely aboriginal. Each ato, of which, as has been noted, there are seventeen, has its group of old men called "in-tug-tu'-kan." This in-tug-tu'-kan is not an organization, except that it is intended to be perpetual, and, in a measure, self-perpetuating.
It is a thoroughly democratic group of men, since it is composed of all the old men in the ato, no matter how wise or foolish, rich or poor no matter what the man's social standing may be. Again, it is democratic the simplest democracy in that is has no elective organization, no headmen, no superiors or inferiors whose status in the in-tug-tu'-kan is determined by the members of the group.
In all matters with which the in-tug-tu'-kan deals it is supreme in its ato, but in the ato only; hence the opening statement of the chapter that no man or group of men holds the control of the pueblo. The life of the several ato has been so similar for such a number of generations that, in matters of general interest, the thoughts of one in-tug-tu'-kan will be practically those of all others.
It is customary for an ato to rest from agricultural labor on the funeral day of any adult man, but the entire pueblo thus seeks to honor at his death the man who was old and influential. There is little differentiation of the functions of the in-tug-tu'-kan. It hears, reviews, and judges the individual disagreements of the members of the ato and makes laws by determining custom.
The feature of self-perpetuation displays itself in that it decides when the various men of the ato become am-a'-ma, "old men," and therefore members of the in-tug-tu'-kan. A person is told some day to come and counsel with the in-tug-tu'-kan, and thenceforth he is a member of the group.
It also executes its judgments or sees that they are executed. It makes treaties of peace, sends and accepts or rejects challenges of war for its ato. In case of interato disagreements of individuals the two in-tug-tu'-kan meet and counsel together, representing the interests of the persons of their ato.
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