Time of Great Sorrow

[Loverofnature]

well, because we don't hear about them, see them, and that look on Tsu'tey's face when he says they should ride out to the other clans. if you know what i mean

[Tsawke`Iheyu]

Omaticaya and the other clans needed to gather against the RDA attack. If there were conflicts between them, it was probably showed in the movie, like : "C'mon, you're the Ikran Clan Leader ! Don't make us beg you !" and its length would've been useless.

Scott's idea sounds good. But why do you need a Toruk Makto to face the destructive force of nature ?

[Ashen Key]

Originally Posted by Loverofnature

well, because we don't hear about them, see them, and that look on Tsu'tey's face when he says they should ride out to the other clans. if you know what i mean

Hmm, okay. I read that whole situation completely differently - and also, there is a reference to other clans. With Grace's "the clan we know best, the Omaticaya" - implying other clans. And to be fair, we don't actually know much about the Omaticaya, either.

Also, re: Tsu'tey's face - I just read that as going out to gather the clans is a really big deal. But he was grinning as he was translating, so.

Originally Posted by Tsawke`Iheyu

Scott's idea sounds good. But why do you need a Toruk Makto to face the destructive force of nature ?

As a leader, particularly if there were too many inter-clan wars and rivalries for people to work together of their own resolve. Being Toruk Makto is a good way to get people to shut up and pay attention to you, which'd be a big help if you needed to co-ordinate something.

[Human No More]

Neytiri already said that the previous Toruk Makto brought the clans together.
From a practical point of view, contact between the clans would be very important as they specialise in different things, over the long terms then it would also keep the genepool stable. With the network, then communication even if not physically is clearly commonplace.
Tsu'tey's expression to me was more realising what Jake intended to do rather than surprise.

[Banefull]

My own guess would be that there were periods when inter-tribal conflicts got very intense (like entire clans were wiped out) and then Toruk Makto came to bring peace.