The Indigenous Developing Society

 Justin M. Vera

Ms. Katie Jones

Eng. 210

June 4, 2018 

The Indigenous Developing Society

“Indigenous people believe that Man belongs to the world; civilized people believe that the world belongs to man” (Quinn, n.d.). These words from Daniel Quinn highlight many truths that will be discussed here. First and foremost, who is an indigenous person? As Mr. Joseph states, “As it stands, there is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous Peoples in a global context. Some countries refer to Indigenous Peoples as the nomadic peoples within their borders” (Joseph, n.d.). Ranging from Aztec to Yucatec, from Aborigine to Eskimo, from Inca to Mopan, all those and many more indigenous people share common roles, they are not just as a statistic or a percentage of the entire country’s population. Indigenous people give us concrete proof from where we come, and their mere existence shows us where we can go. In fact, the indigenous help in the development of society because they provide basic traditions, morals, and ideologies.

First, indigenous people develop society through their traditions. Contrary to the assumption of many, indigenous people always have traditions that can be passed on. To illustrate, traditions for the Holy Week are mainly undergone by the Mestizo culture, “a people of mixed Spanish and Mayan descent representing roughly 48% of the Belizean population” (“Belize Mestizo culture”, n.d.). Another misconception is that the traditions need to stay the same. Again, not the case, take “el Dia de los Muertos” or “the Day of the Dead”, this tradition has evolved in a way different from other cultures. In fact, “it might sound somewhat morbid, but the Mexicans react to death with mourning along with happiness and joy. They look at death with the same fear as any other culture, but there is a difference. They reflect their fear by mocking and living alongside death” (“Dia de Los Muertos”, n.d.). While some may still disagree with these ideas and claim that personally the indigenous traditions do not benefit them, this claim notwithstanding is null and void. Consider this:

“Traditional food lengthens life. It is now emerging that indigenous peoples’ overall health, well-being and cultural continuity are directly related to their ability to consume their traditional foods and continue their traditional food practices. This realization has led to calls to governments to incorporate culture into the development of sustainable agriculture, food systems and related practices, policies and programs that respect and support the well-being of indigenous peoples” (“Culture for Indigenous Peoples”, n.d.).

Second, indigenous people develop a peoples morals. Opponents of this idea claim that they do not, in fact their “morality is actually holding back society because they are the “weak link”. Picture it, what if they have negative moral beliefs like human sacrifice, or polygamy, or countless other morals that today we would see as “immoral”. We have to take time to teach them and the time taken is holding us back, right? Wrong! Look at society, there is murder, there are cheating spouses but they are not “religiously” caused. Consider this:

“No one term in an indigenous language may exactly translate, or even correspond to, the English terms “religion” or “ecology.” The term “ecology” is used here to express indigenous knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge, or traditional environmental knowledge. Despite widespread cultural losses due to colonization and industrialization, many indigenous peoples still hold to their creation stories as the basis of their traditional symbols and rituals of spiritual and ecological intimacy. These creation stories provide the cosmological context for knowing self, society, and world” (Grim, 2017). 

Third, the ideologies of the indigenous develop society. Not only can that, but the indigenous people make their own future! Consider: 

“What had been achieved in Bolivia – a country that had gone from a colonial State to a sovereign and plurinational one – demonstrates what could be done at a global level. “Indigenous peoples are the moral compass of humanity, with their own ways of organization and production,” he stressed, adding that their responsibility is to organize a global fight “to save humanity and the world” (“Culture for Indigenous Peoples”, n.d.).

If society were to work hand in hand with the indigenous progress would speed up tenfold. With the resources of the modern world, and the ideologies of centuries of man in the care of our people then there is no limit on the vast amount of information we can obtain and employ with the help of the indigenous. However, those who disagree claim that man has achieved it all, we have conquered every terrain imaginable: land, air, sea, and even space! Moreover, why even bother with a people that seem so distant from the way we think. Are they not still living in the past? Contrary to what they might think, they live in the truth. Yes man has conquered many terrains, yet one seems to elude man, and that is … self, the mind, and the truth. 

After seeing this evidence, it is impossible to agree with what they say. Nonetheless, their opinions are respected. For they are only opinions, the truth of the matter is that the indigenous participate and drive the development of society with their traditions, morals, and ideologies. While here I have shown the truth, you are now free to decide whether or not to believe it. The last thing is that I respect you for having read this far, it shows that you are searching for the truth. Never stop, your ancestors never did, and neither will your posterity.

References

Culture for Indigenous Peoples. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/mandated-areas1/culture.html

Daniel Quinn. (n.d.). AZQuotes.com. Retrieved June 02, 2018, from AZQuotes.com Web site: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/1447889

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.niu.edu/newsplace/nndia.html

Grim, J. A. (2017, June 17). Indigenous Traditions: Religion and Ecology. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195178722.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780195178722-e-13

Joseph, B. (n.d.). What is the definition of Indigenous Peoples. Retrieved from https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/what-is-the-definition-of-indigenous-peoples