Tribal Band

A Tribal Band is a social group that typically consists of a small, kin-based, nomadic group of hunter-gatherers.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) consist of 20 to 50 individuals related by blood or marriage.
  • It can (typically) engage in Subsistence Strategies that include hunting, fishing, and gathering.
  • It can (typically) be highly mobile, moving to different locations for food resources.
  • It can (typically) have a rich Oral Tradition, passing down knowledge, stories, myths, and cultural practices orally through generations.
  • It can (often) be characterized by a fluid membership, with individuals or families joining or leaving the band.
  • It can (often) have an Egalitarian Social Structure, with no formal leader and decisions made by consensus.
  • It can (often) share resources among its members, practicing a form of reciprocal altruism.
  • It can (often) practice Exogamy, marrying outside of the band to strengthen alliances with other bands.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • A !Kung San Band (within the !Kung San people) within the Kalahari Desert, known for their extensive knowledge of their environment and foraging techniques.
  • An Inuit Band (within the Inuit population) within the Arctic, who traditionally hunt marine mammals and fish, and have adapted to extreme cold environments.
  • A Hadza Band (within the Hadza people) within Tanzania, one of the last remaining societies that still rely heavily on hunting and gathering.
  • A Birhor Band (within the Birhor people) within India, focusing on the social dynamics and kinship ties that facilitate mobility and interaction among bands.
  • A Yanomami Band (within the Yanomami people) within the Amazon Rainforest, noted for their semi-nomadic lifestyle and dependence on both horticulture and foraging.
  • An Apache Band (within the Apache people) within the Southwestern United States, historically known for their mobility and expertise in guerrilla warfare.
  • A Ache Band (within the Ache people) within Paraguay, primarily living in the dense forests and practicing hunting and gathering.
  • A Mbuti Band (within the Mbuti people) within the Ituri Forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who are known for their hunter-gatherer lifestyle in a dense forest environment.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • an Agricultural Society, which rely on farming and permanent settlements.
  • an Industrial Society, characterized by large populations, urbanization, and reliance on manufactured goods.
• See: Hunter-Gatherer Society, Egalitarianism, Nomadic Lifestyle, Subsistence Economy, Patrilineal Band.

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References

2017

• (Williams, 2017) ⇒ Bobby Jo Williams. (2017). “The Birhor of India and Some Comments on Band Organization.” In: Man the Hunter, pp. 126-131. Routledge.
  • QUOTE: "The Birhor band is composed of relatives, and an individual can normally visit other bands only in which he has relatives. The ability to visit another band also implies the potential of being able to join that band on a more permanent basis."
  • NOTE: It provides an insightful examination of the Birhor, a hunting-gathering group in India, from the perspective of physical anthropology. The chapter highlights the Birhor's band organization, social dynamics, and interactions with neighboring tribal and non-tribal populations, emphasizing the significance of kinship and mobility within their society.

1974

• (Williams & Wobst, 1974) ⇒ Bobby Joe Williams, and H. Martin Wobst. (1974). “A Model of Band Society.” In: Memoirs of the Society for American Archaeology, 29: i-138.
  • QUOTE: "Both the family level of sociocultural organization and, at the band level, the composite band are comcomitants of Steward's view that the patrilineal band is a rather inflexible structure."
  • NOTE: It presents a comprehensive model for understanding the structure and dynamics of band societies, which are typically small, kin-based, nomadic groups of hunter-gatherers. The authors explore the sociocultural organization of these groups, emphasizing the significance of familial and band-level interactions within the broader context of band society.

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