XCIT ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT [eth. axn. 20 



then, is a savage tribe, and how does tribal societv difter from 

 national society! 



The nation, like the tribe, is a compound group of people, 

 the distinction between them being in the method by which 

 the grou])ing is accomplished. All the j)eople of the United 

 States belong to the national group. I'liev ure citizens of the 

 nation, and, at the same time, are divided into 45 groups as 

 citizens of states. In every state there are counties, and the 

 people of the state are citizens of one or other of these coun- 

 ties. Then, again, tlie counties are divided into precincts, 

 towns, or townships. Sometimes towns are divided into school 

 districts, and cities into wards. And thei-e are numerous vil- 

 lages. Thus the people of the United States are organized in 

 a hierarchy of groups, from the school district to the entire 

 nation. Tlie territory of the United States is divided into 

 subordinate districts throughout the hierarchy, and there are 

 at least four grou))s in the hierarchv — tlie town, the county, the 

 state, and the nation; or, the ward, the city, the state, and the 

 nation. Every citizen of the United States, therefore, belongs 

 to four different organizations in a hierarchy. He has a vote 

 in each organization, assists in the selection of its officers, 

 obeys its laws, and holds allegiance to its authority. This is 

 all very simple, but the plan of grouping or regimenting peo- 

 ple Ijy territorial boundaries is of late origin. Our Anglo- 

 Saxon ancestors were grouped by a very different method. 

 History teaches that the ancient (Ireeks and Romans were 

 grouped by a different plan. In fact, it has been discovered 

 that, in the two stages of culture which I huve called savagery 

 and barbarism, a very different plan of regimentation every- 

 where prevails. Tliis plan is known as tribal organization. 



Tribal organization characterizes the two lower stages of 

 culture, though savage regimentation differs from barbaric 

 regimentation in some very important particulars. 



In tribal society people are grouped or regimented in bodies 

 of kindred. Let us first examine this grouping- in the savage 

 tribe. A savage tribe is composed of clans. Let us obtain a 

 clear idea of what is meant bv a clan. 



A tribe is a group of people belonging to clans; a clan is a 



