In a matrilineal descent system, ancestry and group membership pass through the mother's line. A child belongs to the mother's lineage, not the father's. Property, titles, and ritual rights may pass from a man to his sister's son rather than to his own children. This arrangement appears in societies across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Native North America, including the Navajo, the Minangkabau of Sumatra, and the Akan of Ghana.

Matrilineal does not mean matriarchal. Women do not necessarily hold political power, though they often control land and household resources. Among the Minangkabau, ancestral land passes from mother to daughter, while men handle political and religious leadership. The system creates a particular tension: a man's loyalty is split between his natal lineage and his wife's household, where his children live but do not belong to his line.

Common features

• Children belong to the mother's lineage.
• Inheritance passes through the female line.
• A maternal uncle often holds authority over nephews.
• Husbands may live with or near the wife's family.

Matrilineal systems are less common than patrilineal ones, but they are not rare or exotic. They are a coherent way of organizing kinship.