They formalized the requirements for marriage except in cases of pregnancy. Tribal Councils were largely instruments of the federal government. They could take the matter to the Court of Indian Offenses, which was governed by a combination of tribal and federal law,but most people preferred unofficial settlements out of the reach of the federal government. Relatives would discuss the estate and make adjustments as needed. If a Navajo died intestate, property descended according to the tribe's matrilineal tradition. Married couples shared livestock and land. Women kept their earnings from weaving and other crafts, separate property, and joint personal property. Navajo men could keep their separate property if they left their wives, but their wives kept everything else. Separation and divorce were fairly frequent and informal. Navajos caught committing adultery were punished physically, and settlements were reached through payments to the offended party or divorce. Polygamy was practiced unofficially though forbidden by the government. Women practiced birth control abortion occurred rarely. Illegitimate pregnancies were handled by marriage or a financial settlement. Prostitution existed informally, without stigma. Navajos placed little importance on virginity and had few rules concerning sex, though marriages between members of the same clan or related clans were forbidden. A decline in the number of women chanters may have reflected a growing Anglo influence. Some women did ritual chants, and they were treated with the same degree of respect as their male colleagues. Both men and women planted and harvested crops. The rugs and blankets they weaved were a chief source of family income. Mothers headed many of these groups, performing domestic tasks and managing the family livestock. Informally, the Navajo still governed themselves by consensus among their clans and kin-groups. Women were not allowed to take part in official politics, but they continued to participate in other roles much as before. Many Navajo removed themselves from formal political activities. The Department of the Interior, however, set up a political structure to ensure cooperation with the federal government. Four years later the Navajo were allowed to return to their country in Arizona. After the Confederates withdrew from the New Mexico Territory, Kit Carson began his campaign against the tribes. Navajo raids in Pueblo lands left Anglos feeling threatened. Women were more respected than in many other Native American tribes they were treated as companions, owned property, and took part in tribal decisions. While head men or women arbitrated disputes and imposed sanctions if necessary, most decisions were made through group discussion. Some, chosen as leaders of their groups, exercised moral, economic, and judicial authority and represented their groups to other Navajo. Women could also attain religious or political honors. They were consulted in family decision-making, and their opinions were respected. Traditionally, Navajo women were the heads of their families or clans. Navajo Women's Story 1868 to 1960: Separation of the Sexes