The Mesquakie utilized several forms of social governance to manage its people and their interactions with other tribes. But how did the Mesquakie organize their social hierarchy? What function did its leaders perform and how did those positions change over time in the 18th and late 19th centuries? While the Mesquakie had loose political organization in peacetime, during war the leaders took on a more formal role as Warchiefs to represent and defend the people. Chiefs were essential to the survival of the tribe; a strong chief was directly correlated to the prosperity of the tribe. Chiefship was inherited by the oldest son of the former chief. The position could be declined and passed to the next male heir. A chief in the 1830’s, Young Mahaskah,