Values in Transition

by Rebecca Adamson



The indigenous understanding has its basis in spirituality, a recognition of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all living things, a holistic and balanced view of the world. Such ecological wisdom, while declared by other great religions - Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity or Islam - are not central to their practice. Therefore, you may have many social organizations, institutions and systems that operate disconnected from humanity's professed values.

Based upon the above beliefs and a complex system of giving, sharing and reciprocity, Native economies were organized according to values and assumptions that fundamentally conflict with Western neo-classical economies. The underlying dichotomy is ecology of life versus scarcity of resources; sharing, distribution, circulation versus accumulation; inclusive collective usage rights versus exclusive individual property rights; sustainability versus growth and finally, anti-consumerism ethics versus individual insatiable appetite.

If you organize your economy based upon the neo-classic assumption, of course you will deplete your natural world. We need the ecological wisdom to be central to the practice of all great religions and other expressions of spirituality. And we need to reorganize our economic system and institutions to embody these values.

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