Headman

• The Nez Perce villages typically were made up of several extended families and led by an elder headman. The headman was the oldest able-bodied man within the family groups and received assistance from other younger prominent men. The headman's duties were to demonstrate proper behavior and etiquette, be village spokesman, mediate quarrels among the villagers and maintain general welfare of all villagers.
  
  

Elders

• Grandfathers and grandmothers played a critical part in raising the children. These elders often taught their grandchildren the initial essentials of how to live with the land, leaving the remainder of teachings for the child's parents. The grandfather would often teach his grandchild his first lessons in hunting, fishing, horse-riding and sweatbathing. The grandmother would typically teach her granddaughter her first lesson in edible flora, along with where and when to gather berries and how to pick roots.
  
  

Shaman

• The Nez Perce shaman maintained a pivotal role in the ceremonial and spiritual structure of the tribe. The shaman was generally an elder, with a shamanic lineage in his or her family. Shamans also had special duties including curing sicknesses, making prophecy on the outcome of war parties and serious tribal politics, controlling weather and conducting prayer and blessings for hunting parties.
  
  

Family Duties

• The families of the village typically had special duties or shared duties with other families. These included hunting, making clothing, making tools, scouting, teaching and building. Typically, the father would take along his son or sons on special duties for observation and teaching. Female children would accompany the mother in her daily duties of cooking, gathering and preparing skins.