Today, it is difficult to say who exactly took part in the rebellion. At the time, the region was known as "pays d'en haut" ("upper country"), but its borders were not defined exactly. Until the Paris peace treaty of 1763, it was claimed by France. Native Americans from many different tribes lived there. At the time, a "tribe" was a group of people who spoke the same language, or a group of people who belonged to the same family. It was not a political unit. No chief spoke for an entire tribe, and no tribe acted in unison. For example, Ottawas did not go to war as a tribe: some Ottawa leaders chose to do so, while other Ottawa leaders denounced the war and stayed clear of the conflict.