I took notice of this exceptional article when I was visitting ZenGardner’s site. Thanks, Zen. Without your eager eye I would probably never have come across this wonderful work.
Dear friends, if you wonder what is wrong with this world, and we all know that something is terribly wrong, Manitonquat might have the answer. bmc
from News Beacon Ireland
May 23, 2014
There are over three hundred million indigenous people in the world today. Most of them indentify with a tribe and actually live among their people in traditional tribal areas. The rest of the world is either of mixed tribal heritage or has lost connection and knowlegde of any tribal lineage in their families. It is my experience that most people today feel isolated and unconnected with the communities around them and very many of them feel the longing for the kind of closeness and mutual support that the idea of a tribe conveys to them.
by Manitonquat (Medicine Story)
Editor’s note:
This is an excerpt from the book “Have you lost your Tribe?” by the native American elder Manitonquat. He is the author of several books (non fiction and fiction). They are available through Amazon and through www.circleway.org. As the discussion is unfolding how we can change humankind’s direction his thinking and wisdom is a major contribution. Together with his wife Ellika he brings the knowledge of the Circle Way of living to interested people all over the world in camps and workshops. To learn more visit www.circleway.org
“Only tribes will survive.”
- Vine Deloria Jr., Lakota
It seems Old Man Winter doesn’t want to move on yet. He threw some more snow on us last night, and the wind outside is pretty chilling. So it’s good we have plenty of firewood and we have our stove making it warm and cozy in here now. I burned some sweet grass to give us a nice clean new atmosphere in the room, and I put my prayers for opening our minds together into a pinch of tobacco that I gave to the fire.
Let’s settle down, get comfortable, and consider this subject of tribes and the tribal way of organizing ourselves. Take a moment to breathe into the subject, the idea of belonging the possibility of a community that you may call your own and would support you and be supported by you.
When I ask you “have you lost your tribe?” I should describe what I mean by the word “tribe”. The word has a bad reputation these days with so many tribes led by hereditary chieftains that in many places are absolute autocrats of patriarchal fiefdoms that are often abusive and brutal to women and children. That is certainly not what I think about when I hear the word tribe.
There are over three hundred million indigenous people in the world today. Most of them indentify with a tribe and actually live among their people in traditional tribal areas. The rest of the world is either of mixed tribal heritage or has lost connection and knowlegde of any tribal lineage in their families. It is my experience that most people today feel isolated and unconnected with the communities around them and very many of them feel the longing for the kind of closeness and mutual support that the idea of a tribe conveys to them.
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