I'm unfortunately not knowledgeable about pre-Columbian America, but I might be able to give you some insight based on what I know about post-Columbian Andean indios while you wait for a specific answer.

Joanne Rappaport writes in The Politics of Memory about how indios who, lacking a formal writing system, used stories, songs, and fables to teach community members the boundaries of their resguardo (like a reservation, sort of). These tales would describe physical locations so as to have somewhat clear geographic and physical boundaries between groups and the areas groups had rights to. I'd give you page numbers, but I can't get to my library right now for obvious reasons. If you're interested in these groups though, I'd check that book out when you get the chance.

Of course, that was what these communities did under intense social and cultural pressure by colonization. That may have been an innovation specifically wrought by the conquest. History and culture aren't static. I hope that ends up helping in some way though.