For starters: they're the "Joketsuzoku" and they live in the village of "Nyuuchezu" (or however else you like to romanise it). That's actually due to the translation, of course, so it's not really a misconception per se... but Viz's usage of "Amazons" has in and of itself contributed to several misconceptions, primarily that the tribe is some sort of primitive misandrists.
If the Joketsuzoku are supposed to be oppressing their men, all the information we have suggests they do a rather terrible job of it. Ignoring that Shampoo is quite happy to play the submissive happy housewife for Ranma (and techniques like the Smiling Three Year Death), there's the factor of Mousse, who is a better martial artist than the village's female champion, has never been stopped from harassing said female champion, seems to be better-educated than she is, and can take off to wherever in the world any time he wants.
To say nothing of the whole "must marry whomever beats you in a fight" law, which is awfully counterproductive to having a society of female supremacists.
Shampoo's Chinese name isn't "Xian Pu"; the characters they use for her name in the manga are "Shan Pu". On that note, the mace-like weapons she uses are not "bonbori" - that's actually a pun that got propogated somehow as the truth, and a quick google image search for the term will show you why the pun existed. The weapons are actually called "sui" or "chúi", and are an actual martial arts weapon, rarely used in the real world because of the great strength needed to heft them.
The strictness of the Nyuuchezu laws, and how much they're even followed, is also not given in the manga. Shampoo gives the Kiss of Death to Miss Hinako after being defeated by her, but then abrogates to Ranma the responsibility for beating her thereafter, which for all we know is completely legitimate. Punishments for violating the rules is also completely up in the air; though Cologne takes Shampoo to Jyusenkyou for "retraining" when she returns after not killing/marrying Ranma, there is no indication this is some sort of standard punishment - in fact, given Shampoo's clearly never heard of the place before that, it probably isn't.
Finally, there's nothing at all that indicates the Nyuuchezu are somehow primitive or shun technology. Cologne and Shampoo keep a TV in the Nekohanten and are both seen watching it, the village is shown to have electricity, takes pictures, and have their own newspaper.
Oh, and Cologne isn't evil. But you knew that!
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