The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. The condition of being a people or one of a people: "As symbols go, few are as national and sectarian as the menorah. It is the symbol of Jewish peoplehood” ( Charles Krauthammer).
n. The collective sense of being part of a distinct people.
Word Usage
"He acknowledged that for the notion of peoplehood to catch on, it will need to be adapted for modern realities and be reconciled with opposing notions like individual identity and ideology."