Final answer:
The Haudenosaunee society was not characterized by small, autonomous clans but rather by a large, unified Iroquois Confederacy with a council-led structure and egalitarian principles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristic that does not describe Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) society is that they lived in small autonomous clans or tribal units without unified structure. In contrast, the Haudenosaunee were organized into a sophisticated confederacy known as the Iroquois Confederacy, which was made up of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca nations, plus later the Tuscarora tribe. This confederacy was governed by a council of fifty sachems. They were also known for their egalitarianism, as they shared resources such as gathered and hunted food across the community, reflected in their disregard for material possessions and the circulation of goods based on need.
Unlike primeval societies characterized by occasional violent interactions, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, formed by the Mohawk, Seneca, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and later Tuscarora tribes, valued peace and established a political confederacy based on diplomacy and consensus. Additionally, their society demonstrated a strong tendency towards egalitarianism, where material possessions were shared based on need, and equality and generosity were highly valued.