Social Structure and Mound Shape

The reading on Indian mounds was very interesting, overall. One area that was especially facinating was the way in which the burial mounds were "maps of ancient belief systems. They recapitulate the structure of the universe and model the relationship of the social divisons and clans..." (129).
The division between the upperworld and the lowerworld was not only apparent in the different shapes of the mounds, but also among the clans themselves. The mapping of the mounds are harmonious to the landscape, with the flying animals along ridges and the water animals near water sources- but they are also representational of some of the social institutions among the differnet tribes.
The Ho-Chunk are divided socially into two groups- "those who are above" and "those who are on earth" (116). The most important clan in the "above" division is the Thunderbird, while the Bear and Water Spirit are the most important of th "lower" divisions (117). "What is significant about his arrangement is that it not only more finely defines the realms of the natural world, but also represents common types of effigy mounds" (118).
While the mounds are very complex in their burial traditions, construction, and ceremonial centers, the social aspect of who belonges to which tribe is another important clue of who was buried where, and what their lives may have been like. Knowing that the Thunderbird had a higher status then a land animal in the Ho-Chunk tradition gives more information about what that mound may contain, and more pieces of the puzzle that will contribute to the broader picture of who exactly these mound builders were. While the symbolic and spiritual natures are also important, the social traditions can be the backbone of those other areas can be perceived.
Whether the mound is of a bird, animal, or water spirit, that particular shape will reveal much information- and in some cases the social hierarchy of that tribe can be a determining factor.