That said, it is not in doubt that words introduced by the colonialists to describe the indigenous peoples of colonial lands, were often derogatory in their intended meaning, and often associated with primitiveness. For this reason, I too refuse to refer to the various ethnic groups in Africa as “tribes”, because there is a definite sense that the colonialists’ use of the term to describe our different peoples, was meant to indicate (as they saw it) the somewhat primitive nature of our societies.

There are differences amongst the peoples of say, France, or Great Britain. But I havent heard that people of Yorkshire in England(for instance), or the Welsh, as distinct as they are, were referred to as a tribe at anytime within the last few centuries…

I am Afro Panamanian and I remember there was the same situation with one of our ethnic indigenous groups. Everyone ignorantly used to refer to them as Chocos, in terms of the region they lived. They were called Chocos because they inhabited the Choco region that divides Panama/Colombia. This wrong information was in the school texts, etc.
It was recentlly, that this particular ethnic Panamanian people came forward and said “we are not Chocos, we are Embera Wounan.” It is tantamount to being called by the wrong name.We all remember the Europeans refering to the people from the upper Northern American region as Eskimos. The proper name for them are Inuits.This foolishness has remained with many even today to continue calling the early American people Indians.Saludos.