Bureaucracy must be a bitch then... Expansive lands tend to not be condusive to that. 

Anyway, so I could be from territories hidden by oh, mountain ranges and other natural barriers from the North then, with jack all for farming resources?

 And I don't believe that the tribe would be a seperate 'savage' race from man. They are still mortal, bleed from pricking, etc. Just that they are rather vicious in making sure they hold their lands and keeping outside tribes from messing with them.