Nearly twenty clans were enumerated among the Orochi, numbering from 140 persons down to two or three families. Clans lived "dislocally"; their origin was complex. Exogamy was observed, as well as the custom of mutual aid; several clan festivals were celebrated. Distinctive unions existed, consisting of four to eight clans.
The traditional territorial community held great significance in their lives and required cooperation among its inhabitants. It dictated the appropriate rearing of children and represented the preservation of the traditional culture.
The families were predominantly small, with few children; unseparated families were uncommon. Occurrences of polygamy were for the most part the result of the custom of levirate. Women had high status.
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