Africa Botswana In
Botswana, the reigning
dikgosi of the various tribes serve as advisers to the government as members of the
Ntlo ya Dikgosi, the national
House of Chiefs. They also serve as the
ex officio chairs of the tribal
kgotlas, meetings of all of the members of the tribes.
Ghana The offices and traditional realms of the
Nanas of
Ghana are protected by the republican constitution of the country. The chiefs serve as custodians of all traditional lands and the cultures of the traditional areas. They also serve as members of the Ghanaian
National House of Chiefs.
Nigeria Although both the
Nigerian traditional rulers and the wider
chieftaincy aren't mentioned in Nigeria's current
constitution, they derive their powers from various "Chiefs laws" and are therefore legally recognized. The traditional rulers and select chiefs usually serve as members of each federating state's
State Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs.
South Africa Such figures as the
King of the Zulu Nation and the
Rain Queen are politically recognized in South Africa because they derive their status, not only from tribal custom, but also from the Traditional Leadership Clause of the country's current constitution. Some of them are members of the
National House of Traditional Leaders.
Uganda The pre-colonial states that existed in what is today Uganda were summarily abolished following independence from
Great Britain. However, following constitutional reforms in 1993, a number of them were restored as politically neutral constituencies of the state by the government of
Yoweri Museveni. Such figures as the
Kabaka of Buganda and the
Omukama of Toro typify the Ugandan chieftaincy class.
Americas Latin America El caciquismo is a distorted form of government through which a political leader has total control of a rural society expressed as political
clientelism. This concept was most widespread in Latin America in its different periods of history. In Spain and some Latin American countries, the word
cacique is used pejoratively to refer to those who hold power through obscure networks of influence, even though this type of fraud is not related to
pre-Columbian era civilizations.
Bolivia The
Afro-Bolivian people, a recognized ethnic constituency of Bolivia, are led by a
king whose title is recognized by the Bolivian government.
Canada The band is the fundamental unit of governance among the
First Nations in Canada (formerly called "Indians"). Most bands have elected chiefs, either directly elected by all members of the band, or indirectly by the band council; these chiefs are recognized by the Canadian state under the terms of the
Indian Act. Bands may have traditional hereditary or charismatic chiefs, who are usually not part of the formal government sanctioned by the Indian Act. There were 614 bands in Canada in 2012. The
Assembly of First Nations, a national organization, elects a "national chief" to act as spokesperson of all First Nations bands in Canada.
United States Political power in a tribe A chief might be considered to hold all political power, say by oratory or by example. But on the North American continent, it was historically possible to evade the political power of another by migration. The
Mingos, for example, were
Iroquois who migrated further west to the sparsely populated
Ohio Country during the 18th century. Two Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois,
Hiawatha and
the Great Peacemaker, formulated a
constitution for the Iroquois Confederation. The
Muscogee Confederacy consisted of
tribal towns headed by "Miccos" (civil chiefs) who presided over town councils, but members of the town were free to ignore council decisions, just as towns were free to ignore decisions of the Confederacy. Not all tribal leaders are or were men.
Wilma Mankiller was a well-known chief of the Cherokee Nation. The chief may not be free to wield power without the consent of a council of elders. For example,
Cherokee men were not permitted to go to war without the consent of the council of women.
Asia Arabia Arabs, in particular
nomadic Bedouins, and some Iraqis and Syrians, are largely organized in tribes, many of whom have official representatives in governments. Tribal chiefs are known as
sheikhs or elders, though this term is also sometimes applied as an honorific title to spiritual leaders of
Sufism.
Philippines Apo Rodolfo Aguilar (Kudol I) serves as the chieftain of the
Tagbanwa people living in Banuang Daan and Cabugao settlements in Coron Island, Palawan, Philippines. His position is recognized by the Filipino government.
Oceania The
Solomon Islands have a Local Court Act which empowers chiefs to deal with crimes in their communities, thus granting them considerable effective authority. ==In popular culture==