diff --git a/backend/adapters/orm.py b/backend/adapters/orm.py
index e69de29..5f1bc88 100644
--- a/backend/adapters/orm.py
+++ b/backend/adapters/orm.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+from sqlalchemy import Column, MetaData, String, Table
+from sqlalchemy.orm import mapper
+
+from backend.model.tribe import Tribe as TribeModel
+
+metadata = MetaData()
+
+tribes = Table(
+    "tribes",
+    metadata,
+    Column("name", String(255), primary_key=True),
+    Column("level", String(255)),
+)
+
+
+def start_mappers():
+    tribes_mapper = mapper(TribeModel, tribes)
diff --git a/backend/model/tribe.py b/backend/model/tribe.py
index a11516d..b902b26 100644
--- a/backend/model/tribe.py
+++ b/backend/model/tribe.py
@@ -20,3 +20,8 @@ class Tribe:
 
     def register_student(self, student: Student) -> None:
         self.students.append(student)
+
+    def __eq__(self, other: object) -> bool:
+        if isinstance(other, Tribe):
+            return self.name == other.name and self.level == other.level
+        return False
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9614a7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import pytest
+from sqlalchemy import create_engine
+from sqlalchemy.orm import clear_mappers, sessionmaker
+
+from backend.adapters.orm import metadata, start_mappers
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def in_memory_db():
+    engine = create_engine("sqlite:///:memory:")
+    metadata.create_all(engine)
+    return engine
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def session(in_memory_db):
+    start_mappers()
+    yield sessionmaker(bind=in_memory_db)()
+    clear_mappers()
diff --git a/tests/integration/test_orm.py b/tests/integration/test_orm.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2b57066
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/test_orm.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+from backend.adapters.orm import metadata, start_mappers
+from backend.model.tribe import Tribe
+
+
+def test_tribes_mapper_can_load_tribe(session):
+    session.execute(
+        "INSERT INTO tribes (name, level) VALUES "
+        "('tribe1', '2nd'),"
+        "('tribe2', '1ST')"
+    )
+    expected = [
+        (Tribe("tribe1", "2nd")),
+        (Tribe("tribe2", "1ST")),
+    ]
+    assert session.query(Tribe).all() == expected