tribal alliances

Tribal alliances are cooperative agreements between tribes or tribal groups, typically for mutual defense, trade, or political power.

Historically, these coalitions allowed smaller groups to resist larger enemies or negotiate collectively: The tribal alliances of the Great Plains shifted as European settlement advanced.

The term extends to any coalition built on kinship or group loyalty rather than formal institutions, sometimes used critically to describe factional politics: The company's leadership fractured into tribal alliances.