“The Indian tribe is the fundamental unit of Indian Law; in its absence there is no occasion for the law to operate. Yet there is no all-purpose definition of an Indian tribe. A group of Indians may qualify as a tribe for the purpose of one statute or federal program, but fail to qualify for others. Definitions must accordingly be used with extreme caution.” William C. Canby Jr., American Indian Law in a Nutshell 3–4 (2d ed. 1988).
indian tribe
Indian tribe. A group, band, nation, or other organized group of indigenous American people, including any Alaskan native village, that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the U.S. government because of Indian status (42 USCA § 9601(36)); esp., any such group having a federally recognized governing body that carries out substantial governmental duties and powers over an area (42 USCA § 300f(14); 40 CFR § 146.3). • A tribe may be identified in various ways, esp. by past dealings with other tribes or with the federal, state, or local government, or by recognition in historical records. [Cases: Indians 1–2. C.J.S. Indians §§ 2–4, 23–29, 38–39, 94, 130, 156.]
