Orator's stools were not actually designed to be sat upon. Rather, they held a central place within the Men's House, serving as a lectern during debates. Taking turns, members of a clan would attempt to upstage each other with their eloquence, theatrics and knowledge of genealogical lineages. A speaker would stand or sit next to the stool, carrying a bundle of leaves. At key points in his speak, he would place a leaf on the stool or strike the stool with the bundle to invoke the ancestor represented on the stool.
