Before the arrival of Europeans, the boundaries between these groups and their subgroups were marked by wars that arose from differences in culture, language and moral beliefs.[36] These wars also involved large-scale military actions on land and water, with cannibalistic rituals on POWs.[37][38] While heredity had some weight, leadership status was more subdued over time, than allocated in succession ceremonies and conventions.[39] Slavery among the Indians had a different meaning than it had for Europeans, since it originated from a diverse socio-economic organization, in which asymmetries were translated into kinship relations.[40]