Hello all, Speaking as an anthropologist, tribes are more often used by our North American first nations people. The term, as with any, can have a negative connotation. The first usage may have been THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL. The Latin is Tribus. Clan, I believe is more of an English variation for words that imply direct relationship to the head of the families with the same name. Donald Lee Sutherland, Hamilton, Ontario _________________________________________________________________ Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail

----- Original Message ----- From: "L Sutherland" <lsuth27@hotmail.com> To: <SCT-SUTHERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 10:56 PM Subject: RE: [SUT] Tribes Donald Lee wrote " Clan, I believe is more of an English variation for words that imply direct relationship to the head of the families with the same name." The English word 'clan' (borrowed from Gaelic clann=children) no longer implies blood relationship to the Clan Chief, and perhaps never did so entirely. My surname is Fraser, but I don't believe my family was ever related to the Lovat family --- I like to think my people were in Inverness-shire before the Frasers came from Normandy in the Middle Ages! My 3xgt grandfather was the son of a crofter living on Lovat land near Inverness; his elder brother was one of Lord Lovat's factors round about 1845; none of the family turned out to fight for Charles Stuart, so I don't feel I can shed personal tears at Culloden. Am I nevertheless a member of the clan? I have a bit of a hang-up about this! Sara Cardiff