We live, for the most part, in a hierarchical world. What would it be like to live in a nonhierarchical society?
        What's the difference?

        Hierarchical is top down, a pyramid structure. People are told what is expected of them.
        Nonhierarchical is bottom up, level playing field. People are expected to carry their own weight, be creative, contribute to the well being of all.

        Prior to the great influx into the Americas beginning in the 1600s, North America was nonhierarchical with few exceptions. Every village selected its own leaders. These leaders were primarily responsible to see that the people were fed, sheltered and clothed. Secondarily, they were to see that the people had whatever else was needed.
        The leaders were chosen by the women and removed by the women. Everybody was expected to do something for the benefit of all. This was true of the two major groups in the Northeast, the Iroquoians [Haudenosaunee] and the Algonquins.
        One of the exceptions were the Pequots who had migrated north throught the Mississippi Valley, only about 4,000 years earlier. The Pequots had a three tier system: the central leader, the circle of advisors immediately around him and the outer circle composed of all the rest of the people, a classic hierarchical form of community.

        The Algonquin village is organized into 4 Councils. People are born into the Children's Council. Females are invited into the women's Council beginning around age 7. Young Men are invited into the Young Men's [Warriors] Council usually around the teen years. Older men are invited into the Elder's Council as they mature. Decisions are made unanimously by each Council separately, then by the entire village together. There is no representation.

        The three primary positions of responsibility are: the Peace Sagamore [feed, shelter and cloth the people]; the Owaya Sagamore, the leader in time of conflict, the one who deals with outsiders, the High Warrior [M'hooquepau]; the M'hooquethoth, the advisor to and spokesperson for the sagamores and the people [the Consigliere].
        Other villagers develope areas of responsibility, such as the Pauwau¹, the medicine person. The women are responsible for the land and the dwellings although all contribute to caring for both. The men usually look after hunting and canoe making. Women more frequently look after tanning.
        The entire village keeps an eye on the little ones while respecting the parents' primary responsibilities as the primary care givers. The children learn how to do everything necessary for survival, as well as whatever is of particular interest to them. Children select their own paths.

        How is this different today?
        The modern equivalent to a village is a small town, a high rise apartment building or a grouping of single and two-three family homes.
        At every level, we elect/select a few to make the decisions. These positions of authority may be used to make the position holders wealthy. Look at Congress. See how in a decade a person can go from being on a bottom rung financially to being a multi-millionaire. A local Council person is supposed to represent the people but explains that they have to vote the way the ones who funded their campaign wish. When this writer was told this in the early 2000s, she asked how much the campaign cost. It was $2,000. She told the person she could have bought them.
        We create boards to oversee activities in given areas. One use is in licensing professionals. In the great state of NJ, one such board hired four (4) workers to process the applications for new and renewal licensing annually. The state eventually reached the maximum number of licensed professionals in that field. All the effort was going to renewals. NJ refused to hire more workers so the waiting lists grew both for professionals and customers.
        In a dictatorship, it would probably end quickly one way or another. In a bureaucracy, we often wait for the pot to run dry. In a nonhierarchical structure, the local person would review the qualifications and issue the approval or credentials as needed.
        Hierarchies normally concentrate responsibility into the hands of a few where it becomes authority. Power. This happens in all areas of living from spiritual practices, to maintaining health and safety, to producing food and consumer goods. They also tend to the "one size fits all" model.
        This led to certain challenges in the recent plandemic. Ignoring the fact that the size of a virus has it easily slip through a mask, like a mosquito through a chain link fence, and that there were no published peer reviewed studies, mask wearing is not beneficial for all. Those who expel large amounts of water vapor via respiration have an issue. The mask is quickly clogged and nothing gets through it. Ones who have incarnated in other lives as whales and such are particularly vulnerable to this. This may be more than most might think as more such ones are coming in due to our inhospitable attitude towards marine mammals.
        Another effect of hierarchical structure is the rigidity of practices which may be carried on long after the original reason is not only forgotten but at times negated. And always following someone else's rules leaves no time to create one's own practices.
        Fortunately, many of us do not consciouly pay attention to the ways of others once we start school. Just unconsciously.
        At this point in our evolutionary history, we have the opportunity to examine all our choices and patterns, one by one if we so choose, and keep or discard as we see wise.

        Our choice.

¹ Pauwau: See definition as on medicinepauwau.com