NATION
A self-identifying people who share a common history, often language, a common culture and a homeland. A nation is the most persistent and resistant organization of people-culture- territory. There are between 7,000 and 10,000 nations.
(Examples: Hopi, Miskito, Catalunya, Ainu, Ndebele)
Used with permission from The Meaning of 'Nation' and 'State' in the Fourth World by Dr. Richard Griggs. On the Center For World Indigenous Studies Web site. See also the definition of State.