rotimi@hou2h.UUCP (R.GBADAMOSI) (05/09/85)
Does anyone out there know why people talk about tribes only when referring ~~~~~~ to African peoples?
gtaylor@lasspvax.UUCP (Greg Taylor) (05/10/85)
In article <> rotimi@hou2h.UUCP (R.GBADAMOSI) writes: >Does anyone out there know why people talk about tribes only when referring >to African peoples? I hope that is not regarded as exceptionally rude by Africans. In my case, the predisposition to do so stems in part from trying to internalize the notion that the "national" boundaries of the African continent may be inactuality a set of arbitrary territories (which probably bear *some* relationship to kinship communities....) set up within the last 2 or 3 centuries by a pack of westerners. If that's rude, I sincerely apologize. What is the African view of statehood and nationhood and tribal relations? -- ________________________________________________________________________________ Once I was young:once I was smart:now I'm living on the edge of my nerves:-Japan Gregory Alan Taylor:162 Clark Hall:Cornell University:Ithaca,NY 14850:USA USENET: {cmcl2,decvax,ihnp4}!cornell!lasspvax!gtaylor ARPANET: gtaylor@lasspvax.arpa BITNET: gtaylor@crnlthry.bitnet ________________________________________________________________________________
tjj@ssc-vax.UUCP (T J Jardine) (05/11/85)
> Does anyone out there know why people talk about tribes only when referring > ~~~~~~ > to African peoples? It seems to me that one speaks about 'tribes' when talking about African people primarily because that is the method of organization that those people have chosen. I'm not an anthropologist, but I think that there are segments of the Arabic and Semitic people that use the term tribe. There are tribes in Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea, and Borneo. There are tribes in South and Central America. There are even the remnants of once proud tribes in North America. Perhaps we are all members of a tribe? Certainly this is not unique to Africa, black or any other color. -- TJ (with Amazing Grace) The Piper Boeing Artificial Intelligence Center ...uw-beaver!ssc-vax!bcsaic!ted
oliver@unc.UUCP (Bill Oliver) (05/12/85)
In article <hou2h.906> rotimi@hou2h.UUCP (R.GBADAMOSI) writes: >Does anyone out there know why people talk about tribes only when referring > ~~~~~~ >to African peoples? Now, the Chickasaw side of my family doesn't seem to think that being in a tribe is derogatory at all. There are some folk back home in Oklahoma who are pretty proud to belong to a tribe (though indeed, many folk prefer "nation" - it all depends on the context and who is saying what). slightly homesick, Bill Oliver "Way down yonder in the Indian Nation I rode my pony on the reservation, in them Oklahoma hills where I belong......"
jeff@rtech.ARPA (Jeff Lichtman) (05/12/85)
> Does anyone out there know why people talk about tribes only when referring > ~~~~~~ > to African peoples? I've never thought of "tribe" as a derogartory word. To me it implies a society organized along family lines. Native American nations are still commonly called "tribes". -- Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) aka Swazoo Koolak {amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff
polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry Polard) (05/17/85)
In article <906@hou2h.UUCP> rotimi@hou2h.UUCP (R.GBADAMOSI) writes: >Does anyone out there know why people talk about tribes only when referring > ~~~~~~ >to African peoples? Really? You mean the Germanic tribes were really Africans, as are the American Indians and the tribes in India, the rest of Asia, New Guinea and other areas and times when there were no centralized governments? -- Henry Polard (You bring the flames - I'll bring the marshmallows.) {ihnp4,cbosgd,amd}!fortune!polard N.B: The words in this posting do not necessarily express the opinions of me, my employer, or any AI project.