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descriptions,
predictions, visions,
and prescriptions
concerning modern existence
and modern religions
among contemporary
hyphenated-American peoples
throughout the Lands of the Peoples of the Eagle and Condor
instructed by attention to Black Elk, Robert Allen Warrior and Vine Deloria, Jr.
by Theodore Walker, Jr.
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descriptions:
Throughout the lands of the peoples of the Eagle and Condor,
hyphenated-American peoples
are
continuing with
insufficiently tribal existence,
insufficiently tribal religions,
and with other 500+ year old modern habits,
including the habit of oppressing traditional tribal peoples, and of developing exploitive relations to other life.
According to Native American values, this is not good.
predictions:
Continuing with past (500+ years) and present modern habits and behaviors,
including the habit of failing to reverence other life,
will yield continuing and increasingly improper relations to other life.
Being wrongly related to other creaturely life will contribute to being wrongly related to human creaturely life, and this will contribute to being wrongly related to the Creator.
prophecy:
According to many Native American religious prophecies:
contemporary human peoples are at a crossroads.
Human peoples across the world,
and throughout the Lands of the Eagle and Condor,
must repent of modern relations to other life and take up efforts to contribute to the well-being and prosperity of other life.
In Black Elk's language, contemporary human peoples must abandon the 500+ year old modern habit of following "the black road" and
follow "the red road."
Traveling the red road means living in a sacred manner, rightly related to other life (locally, globally, all inclusively).
[See BLACK ELK SPEAKS: BEING THE LIFE STORY OF A HOLY MAN OF THE OGLALA SIOUX AS TOLD THROUGH JOHN G. NEIHARDT (Flaming Rainbow)(Lincoln: Univeristy of Nebraska Press, 1988/1932) by John G. Neihardt.]
If contemporary human peoples fail to repent of modern relations to other life, then we will bring increasing disasters upon future human and other than human life.
To be sure, human life cannot long survive the increasing distruction of other creaturely life.
visions:
Native Americans envision an alternative to continuing with modernity.
In addition to envisioning resurgent tribalisms and nationalisms, tribal renaissance, and solidarity for tribal Native American peoples;
some Native Americans envision the possibility and hope of repentance, retribalization, and solidarity for some hyphenated-American and hybrid peoples.
Native American visions of an alternative future are visions of both Native American and hyphenated-American peoples in a genuinely post modern world
where righteous tribal values and rightly tribal religions are embraced in creative new ways.
prescriptions:
In CUSTER DIED FOR YOUR SINS,
in GOD IS RED, and
in THE METAPHYSICS OF MODERN EXISTENCE,
Vine Deloria, Jr.
of the Sioux nations prescribes a new creative synthesis,
a synthesis of tribal existence with modern communications technologies and with modern corporate structures.
According to Deloria's social ethical prescriptions, tribal existence, tribal values, tribalism and retribalization is the path beyond the continuing tragedies of modernity.
The modern world should repent of its seriously over-developed individualisms in favor of more rightly tribal existence.
Between now and then,
between modernity and post-modernity,
the modern world needs to learn tribal wisdom from traditional tribal peoples.
[See CUSTER DIED FOR YOUR SINS: AN INDIAN MANIFESTO (Norman Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 1989/1969) by Vine Deloria, Jr.]
[See GOD IS RED: A NATIVE VIEW OF RELIGION, SECOND EDITION (Golden, Colorado: North American Press, 1992/1973) by Vine Deloria, Jr]
[See THE METAPHYSICS OF MODERN EXISTENCE
(New York: Harper & Row, 1979) by Vine Deloria, Jr.]
Native American social wisdom prescribes repentance, retribalization, and solidarity to hyphenated-American peoples.
Here repentance means repentance of modern non-tribal-anti-tribal-wrongly-tribal existence and religions in favor of more rightly tribal existence, and more rightly tribal religions.
Here retribalization means valuing and developing rightly tribal aspects of human existence and rightly tribal aspects of religion.
Here solidarity means solidarity with rightly tribal and indigenous peoples, including especially Native American peoples, for the purpose of contributing to the creation of a more favorable alternative future, a future yielding a more prosperous existence for all life, including human and other than human life.
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solidarity with Native American peoples:
According to
Robert Allen Warrior
of the Osage nation,
solidarity with Native American peoples entails commitment to contribute to Native American efforts at:
:o:
land recovery,
:o:
national sovereignty,
:o:
religious freedom,
:o:
protection of sacred sites, and
:o:
economic development
(SWEETGRASS, pp. 23, 24).
[See "The Sweetgrass Meaning of Solidarity: 500 Years of Resistance" in SOJOURNERS (Vol. 20, No. 1, January 1991) by Robert Allen Warrior.]
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[Return to chapter one: about Tribalism.]
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last major update: 21 December 1996
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most recent update: 24 March 1997
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NOTICE OF COPYRIGHT: copyright 1997 Theodore Walker, Jr.
This copyright covers all content and formatting (browser-visible and HTML text) in this and attached documents created by Theodore Walker, Jr.
c@Theodore Walker, Jr.
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