Tribe is a term used to describe certain human social groups. Some scholars dislike the term because it lacks a precise meaning and has been applied to many widely different groups. In addition, many of the peoples called tribes consider the term offensive or inaccurate. Most prefer such terms as ethnic group, nation, or people.
The first use of the word tribe in English referred to the Hebrews. Until about 1000 B.C., the Hebrews were loosely organized into 12 groups, each of which traced its descent to one of the 12 sons of Jacob. These groups were called the 12 Tribes of Israel. The term tribe was soon extended to mean any group of families who traced themselves to a common ancestor.
Beginning in the 1400’s, many European nations established colonies in Africa, Asia, and North and South America. The Europeans often described the peoples of those areas as tribes, though the groups varied greatly in their economic, political, and social organization. Some of the so-called tribes consisted of unrelated groups. Others were more accurately called nations. Most Europeans regarded the colonized peoples, whose technology was less advanced than theirs, as primitive. In time, the word tribe acquired the broad meaning of “primitive group.”
Anthropologists have added other characteristics to the definition of tribe, though different scholars emphasize different features. Many define a tribe as a group with a sense of shared identity and ties of ancestry, customs, language, and territory. Other people believe a tribe also must have some form of political organization, such as a means of making decisions for the group and of settling disputes between its members. Some scientists regard only groups without a written language as tribes. Others define a tribal economy as one that operates to produce only enough food and other necessities for members of the group, with little or no surplus. Almost no groups have all these characteristics, though the Tiv of Nigeria and the Zuni Indians of the United States come close.
Today, many black Africans and other peoples consider the word tribe insulting because they believe it implies that they are primitive. Other so-called tribes consider the term inaccurate because they regard themselves as separate groups. For example, the Yoruba, Nigeria’s largest ethnic group, are sometimes called a tribe. But they include the Egba, the Ife, the Oyo, and other peoples, each with their own culture and political organization.
On the other hand, several American Indian groups have struggled since the mid-1900’s to gain or regain legal status as tribes. These Indians declare that they need tribal status to get the protection and benefits that have been promised them by treaties.
Some scholars also use the term tribe to refer to an early stage in the development of political systems, about 10,000 years ago. The tribe came after the family or band and before the appearance of more centralized and specialized governmental systems, such as chiefdoms and kingdoms.
