of troy, I attended a rather lengthy workshop on African cultural groups. The speakers, professors from several universities and specialists in African studies, drove home the point again and again that the word 'tribes' was highly offensive to the peoples of Africa and to black or African-Americans alike. We were instructed to refer to the peoples as 'nations'--such as the Yuruba nation. You realize, I'd guess knowing your broad reading, that these nations are independent of the political boundaries that are meaningless with regards to African nationalities.