chieftain

Key words: water ownership, use and distribution, marquis of the Valle de Oaxaca, Valle de Oaxaca, chieftainships.

A leader of the political party that won Botswana's independence and the most prominent chief himself after Tshekedi's death in 1959, he succeeded in restricting the authority of chieftainships to local affairs in the new state.

The chieftainships are based on direct descent through the male line from the last Gaelic chief or king.

Chieftainships were determined and managed by matrons of certain families who held meetings with other clan women to make these decisions.

Joseph Copeland, also sent out by the RPCS, told of how he encouraged the Aneityumese to fill vacant chieftainships and assisted in the inauguration of those selected in 1862 when he was based on their island, but wrote nothing about promoting political development after moving to Futuna where he served from 1866 to 1876.

The Roman aim was to encourage small, friendly client chieftainships who would both respect the Roman frontiers and protect them against other tribal threats, often in return for Roman help against their tribal enemies.