Detribalizing

/diːˈtraɪbəlaɪzɪŋ/ verb

Definition

Present participle of detribalize; the ongoing process of breaking down tribal structures and forcing assimilation into dominant cultures.

Etymology

From detribalize + -ing. Describes the active process rather than the result.

Kelly Says

Historians and postcolonial scholars use detribalizing to describe policies like Indian boarding schools or forced urbanization—terms that force us to acknowledge the intentional harm behind these processes.

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