We have lost the wisdom of the indigenous people

In most countries indigenous people are marginalized if not outcast though they have a rich culture of their own. For instance, in the United States of America we refer to the native people as red Indians though they are not really Indians. Christopher Columbus when he discovered America some centuries ago presumed it was part of India and that is how they came to be known as red Indians. This land was rich in gold and other minerals including silicon which we widely use in this Hi-tech era for our mobile phones, for our smartphones, smart televisions and other equipment. From Britain and elsewhere the white people came to America, conquered the natives and plundered their natural resources. Not only that, movies and comic books were used to portray them as savages because, as part of their culture they painted their faces red. Today only a small percentage still exists.   

In 1855 this letter was sent by Native American Chief Seattle to US President Franklin Pierce, in response to an offer to buy land in the US North East, currently Washington State. The Native Americans were powerfully bound to the earth; the idea of property was foreign to them, and they actually considered the earth to own humankind. This was the Chief’s moving, lucid letter:   

. . “How can you buy or sell the sky –the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. Yet we do not own the freshness of the air or the sparkle of the water. How can you buy them from us? We will decide in our time. Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing, and every humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap that runs through the trees carries the memories of the red-skinned man.   

The dead among the white man forget their birthplace when they leave to walk among the stars. Our dead never forget this beautiful earth because she is the redman’s mother. We are part of the earth and she is part of us. The scented flowers are our sisters: the horned beasts, the horse and the majestic eagle are our brothers. The fields, the warm body of the foal and man, all belong to the same family. Thus when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our lands, he is asking for a great deal. The Great Chief sends word that he will reserve a space for us to live comfortably with each other. He will be our father and we will be his children. Because of this, we will consider his offer to buy our lands. But this will not be easy, because these lands are sacred to us. The sparkling water that runs in the rivers and streams is not only water; it is the blood of our ancestors. if we sell you these lands, you must remember that they are sacred, and teach your children that they are, and that every ghostly reflection in the clear waters of the lakes speaks of the lives and memories of the life of my people. The murmur of the stream is the voice of my father’s father.”The reference to red was because their faces were painted mainly in red.   

These reflections come to mind as the United Nations on August 9 marks the International Day of the World’s Indigenous people. In a statement the UN stresses that we should leave no one behind and calls for a new social contract with indigenous people.   

According to the UN there are more than 476 million indigenous people living in about 90 countries. Indigenous people are the holders of a vast diversity of rare cultures, traditions, languages and knowledge systems. They have a special relationship with their lands and hold diverse concepts of development based on their own worldviews and priorities. Although numerous indigenous people are self-governing and some have been successful in establishing autonomy in varying forms, many indigenous peoples still come under the ultimate authority of central governments who exercise control over their lands, territories and resources. Despite that reality, indigenous peoples have demonstrated extraordinary examples of good governance.   

As British primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall says, “We seem to have lost the wisdom of the indigenous people, which dictated that in any major decision, the first consideration was ‘How will this decision we’re making today affect our people in the future? These days, decisions are made based on the bottom line.