Tribe - A group of Indians comprising a series of families or clans, usually bound together by blood ties and believing all came from a common origin.  members of a tribe spoke the same language, and were under the authority of a chief.  The Government in making treaties usually dealt with tribes.

however, a broader meaning has developed for the term "tribe."  For example, the Bureau of indian Affairs today deals with what they term a "tribal entity" in the state of minnesota.  They call this the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.  Yet this tribal organization is composed of six separate bands of Chippewa Indians, and each band can be considered a tribe for many purposes.  In addition, there are a number of other bands or groups of Chippewa, each of which can qualify as a tribe.

Also, the Indians of the Fort Berthold Reservation, north Dakota, are dealt with as one tribal entity, even though they are actually made up of three indian tribes - the Arikara, Gros Ventre, and the Mandan.  Altogether the Bureau lists 279 "tribal entities" throughout the United States.
 

Related Information within this Site
[ Band ][ Chief ][ Clan and Gens ][ Confederation ][ Totem ]