The word "tribe" can have negative connotations for Westerners. These connotations include:
Primitivity
Denoting an era of uncivilization that Westerners have evolved from
Prejudice
Describing situations where people negatively pit themselves as a group against others
Savage
For European missionaries and explorers who went out to conquer people, the word “tribal” was synonymous to “savage” and “primitive”
Myth of primitive African timelessness
The concept of tribe became a cornerstone for European colonial rule in Africa
Jan 25, 2021 — (Ironically, I have a degree in anthropology and I think it's a fascinating discipline; Good thing my favorite anthro professor back in my university days wisely recommended that we understand the controversies around the term.) Truth be told, it offends many people. Here's why: #1 For European missionaries and explorers who went out to conquer people, the word “tribal” was synonymous to “savage” and “primitive.” It's mainstream connotation is rooted in colonial-era racist ideology. The word immediately conjures stereotypical imagery of brown people with bones in their noses or naked warriors running around in a rainforest.
The East African
So you belong to a tribe? Are you primitive, barbaric ... or savage? - The East African
Jul 21, 2020 — Personal Offensiveness. ... "Tribe" promotes a myth of African timelessness. In the West, "tribal" often implies "savage" "Tribe" reflects widespread bu outdated 19th-century social theory. The concept of tribe became a cornerstone for European colonial rule in Africa.