Final answer:
The truth of the statement regarding tribal dispute resolution going to a patriarch depends on the specific tribe's customs; many indigenous societies, including those in the Iroquois Confederacy, utilize communal and consensus-based decision-making rather than a patriarchal system.
Step-by-step explanation:
In response to the question about whether it's true that in certain tribes, when there's a disagreement among people, they go to the patriarch who decides what to do, the answer would depend on the specific cultural practices of the tribe in question. In some societies, particularly those with a strong patriarchal system, a patriarch might indeed have the authority to settle disputes within his family or community. However, many indigenous societies, such as those of the Iroquois Confederacy, practice different forms of decision-making which are often more communal and consensus-based. Gender roles in such societies might also be less rigid, and leadership can sometimes be shared or advised by women. So, for some tribes, this statement might be false as elder councils or other leaders beside a patriarch might resolve disputes.
In the case of the Iroquois Confederacy, the summary provided indicates that decision-making was often through consensus among community elders rather than by a single patriarchal figure. Therefore, it would be more accurate to state that resolving disputes involved a more collective approach rather than patriarchal rule.