Omenani:

I am still of the opinion that we are all ethnic groups.

Yoruba is an ethnic group made up of different tribal nations. The same goes for the Igbo who are made up of different tribal nations.

This is the real translation of your statement:

Omenani:

I am still of the opinion that we are all ethnic groups.

Yoruba is an ethnic group made up of different tribal monkey nations. The same goes for the Igbo who are made up of different tribal monkey nations.

That isn't nice, is it?
Don't call yourself tribe, because nobody else refers to themselves as that, the World over.

Beaf said:

Don't call yourself tribe, because nobody else refers to themselves as that, the World over.

Thank you Beaf.

There are no ''tribes'' within our main ethnic groups, at least none that I know of. I know of clans, sub-clans, villages, towns.

The only group I can identify as a tribe is perhaps that remote mountain band of ancient settlers known as the Koma people, discovered a few years back in Taraba State, a preliterate people who wore very sparse clothing, and lived in absolute isolation and subsistence, a life little removed from that led by their ancestors 800 years ago!

I don't think they numbered up to 500, that group. THAT'S what you call a ''tribe'' if you wish to use the word.

Certainly not the 40 million strong Yoruba nation, or even the Edo, Tiv, or Efik - so called 'minorites' who number MILLIONS each in population!


Further intellectual support for ditching the T word:

''The concept of ethnicity requires definition. Ukpo calls an "ethnic group" a "group of people having a common language and cultural values". These common factors are emphasized by frequent interaction between the people in the group. In Nigeria, the ethnic groups are occasionally fusions created by intermarriage, intermingling and/or assimilation. In such fusions, the groups of which they are composed maintain a limited individual identity. The groups are thus composed of smaller groups, but there is as much difference between even the small groups; as Chief Obafemi Awolowo put it, as much "as there is between Germans, English, Russians and Turks" .

''We must be very careful to avoid the use of the term "tribe" to describe these ethnic groups. "Tribe," Ukpo points out, is largely a racist term. The Ibo and Hausa-Fulani of Nigeria are each made up of [35 milion+] people, a figure comparable to the number of, say, Scots, Welsh, Armenians, Serbs or Croats. Yet we do not refer to the latter groups as "tribes."

The term "tribe" is almost exclusively, and very indifferently, applied to peoples of Native American or African origin. It is a label which emerged with imperialism in its application to those who were non-European and lived in a "colonial or semi-colonial dependency, in Asia, Africa and Latin America" . As we are attempting to discard the prejudices of imperialism it is in our best interests to discard the use of the term "tribe" when referring to the ethnic groups of Nigeria.''

http://www.postcolonialweb.org/nigeria/ethnicity.html

Lol. People are entitled to their own opinions after all is said.

This is the kind of campaign Akunyuli should champion, instead of railing against 'Naija'

She should draw up guidelines to be followed in primary and secondary schools, and in the creation of Common entrance exams, neco and waec to eradicate some of this colonial baggage. Pass this along to the ministry of education to execute, and save the next generation from the self-humiliation that we have been forced to engage in thanks to ill-advised colonial habits.

Tribes, indeed. what rubbish.

Also, children should be told over and over again that the legacy of slavery does NOT apply to continental Africans. The europeans never 'conquered' and 'enslaved' continental africa. I could go on forever

i don`t even need to read the introduction, and if we are concerned about what the colonial masters did to us we can forgive them cos thats all in the past. coming to our own now what the word "tribe" is doing to us in the present day Nigeria IS WORSE!!  you can`t rent a room without a landlord asking you what tribe are you from? can`t ask a lady out without that same question. and when two funny tribes meet the third man becomes an instant enemy cos the other two want to say something he should n`t hear . please with a big and app-laudable support moderator please  B A N the word tribe it is killing Nigeria more on the streets than in our past.

blakmonsta:

This is the kind of campaign Akunyuli should champion, instead of railing against 'Naija'

She should draw up guidelines to be followed in primary and secondary schools, and in the creation of Common entrance exams, neco and waec to eradicate some of this colonial baggage. Pass this along to the ministry of education to execute, and save the next generation from the self-humiliation that we have been forced to engage in thanks to ill-advised colonial habits.

Tribes, indeed. what rubbish.

Unfortunately, Dora and her ilk in government may never do that. They lack the ability to think or plan ahead. Their collective thought process can only accommodate about a few moments of impulsive need, which is why they make silly shallow comments everyday.

When it comes to this generation of Nigerian leaders, Thinking about the future is not their forte, it has never been, it probably will never be.

Aren't clans actually another name for tribe? Many African societies are still clan based. You find that among the Native Americans and some Middle Eastern ethnic group. For example, Arabs are an ethnic group, but they are made up of different tribal/clan loyalties. As we progress and lose our clan identity, then will not have to focus on tribe.

Correct me if I am wrong.

You are wrong and correct at the same time

clan/tribe are similar but not interchangeable in all situations

both are completely INAPPROPRIATE for use describing the ethnic groups in Nigeria

There is no such thing as the igbo clan, or igbo tribe. Finish.

Omenani:

Aren't clans actually another name for tribe? Many African societies are still clan based. You find that among the Native Americans and some Middle Eastern ethnic group. For example, Arabs are an ethnic group, but they are made up of different tribal/clan loyalties. As we progress and lose our clan identity, then will not have to focus on tribe.

Correct me if I am wrong.

No! You cannot call many African people "clans" No! Most modern African societies are not clan based, clans are smaller than tribes. Some will argue that clans do not even marry amongst themselves, that is how limited the scope of that word is.

We need to learn how to read between the lines and quit buying into the racist word usage of westerners, especially those who still see themselves as a superior group of people.

Clan in context refers to a smaller section of a tribe, that to my mind makes it worse than tribe when referring to my Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Ijaw and other peoples.

Just call them "people" the Igbo people or Yoruba people is sufficient for me. It should be for those westerners too but, unfortunately, they want to feel superior.

Clan is what the wu tang are. The group which 2 shotz and eldee were members of; that is d Trybes. QED!

^^ ROFL

blakmonsta:

You are wrong and correct at the same time

clan/tribe are similar but not interchangeable in all situations

both are completely INAPPROPRIATE for use describing the ethnic groups in Nigeria

There is no such thing as the igbo clan, or igbo tribe. Finish.

Of course our ethnic groups are not clan. I am not arguing that. I am arguing the fact that our ethnic groups are made up of different clans/tribes.

The example I like to use is the clans that make up the Igbo: Nnewi, Anioma, Ikwerre, Aro, Ibeku, Ukwa, Ika, Ngwa etc.

wrong again. In fact now you are super wrong.

Just so you undersand it:

1) A clan is so closely related they are almost a family.
2) A tribe is a primitive grouping that applies to monkeys or primitive humanoid creatures.

There is no such thing as the Nnewi clan or the igbo tribe. That is racist nonsense.

Say the Nnewi people. Finish.

You are wrong my friend.

tribe -
–noun
1.
any aggregate of people united by ties of descent from a common ancestor, community of customs and traditions, adherence to the same leaders, etc

Nnewi people are united by ties of descent from a common ancestor. The same goes for the Nri Igbo and all the other Igbo clans.

We are united into one Igbo ETHNIC group, because of our language.

Give the name and link to the online "dictionary" that you used.

Once we have established that, please delete that post to avoid misleading unsuspecting Nairalanders that treat it as a real definition.

MODS, the poll results have shown the people are against the use of this word. So please do your duty!!!

Thanks in advance of the anticipated action.

@OP

Most Nigerians are plain stup-id. The word, tribe, does not connote derogatory by any definition. The people calling for the ban of the word – tribe have inferior mentality complex. Funny enough, the same people calling for the ban will gladly indulge in the use of racism. Racism is a misnomer academically and has no fundamental usage since there is only one race on earth which is human. I could not stop laughing when an individual posted the definition of tribe pointing to preliterate people. Do people actually know the meanings of illiterate and literate?

However, the antagonistic trolls of the word – tribe sit much at home with racism because their superior masters have found favor in “White and Black”, a phrase that is intellectually bereft of any reasons. It is a matter of idiocy to define a human by hue. Please google the phrase -“European Tribe” and get educated.