While there were at times a single 'great chief' acknowledged by the others, it was not a formal position and didn't change the fact that the Comanches governed themselves via a council where representatives had a vote, not any sort of monarchy. These bands would then combine informally into a tribe or nation, but this was based on mutual need or advantage.Ĭomanche government was therefore very council-based, with elders gathering on a formal and informal basis to discuss issues and come to decisions.

Sometimes these bands could be hundreds strong, and the elder patriarch was usually referred to as a chief. As historian Thomas Kavanagh explains, the Comanche Nation was divided into 'bands,' which were centered on a patriarch and usually comprised of extended relatives. Despite having a few famous Chiefs of their own, the Comanches were not this organized or unified.