>There is a need ... to allow ourselves to grow. To relinguish the
European,
>the Asian, the Middle East from our identity. There is a need to
>incorporate what we are - where we are and stand alone on those truth's.
>Those who come from those other cultures - as my grandparents did, need to
>make the paradigm shift from being half breeds, honouring cultures which we
>no longer are part off and owning the cultures we have become and finally
>including those who are our brothers - those who were here first - not just
>the people, but the animals and the land and the fishes and the prairies
and
>the oceans and the sky. For this place is different. The vibrations of
>this land are different and we collectively need to stop denying them by
>holding onto other truths and embrace our own. We are the New World and
the
>Old World needs our unique contribution. The question is; can we accecpt
>our heritage and become what those before us - in their highest
achievements
>exemplified and then add what we are to that potential?
>
It would be great if we could, Thomas, but I have my doubts that we can. My
own view of people is that they are essentially tribal, but on a much
smaller scale than you suggest. Each tribe values its own space and its own
traditions and wants to hold onto them as long as it can. There is safety
within the tribe, and danger outside of it. Most nation states, Canada
included, consist of alliances among tribes. Where these alliances are
largely voluntary and the principles along which they operate are
essentially egalitarian and democratic, the tribe can look after its own
interests and the broader system can function quite well. Where the
alliances are not voluntary and the system tends to be authoritarian, as in
Russia (one of many examples), you can expect nothing but trouble. When I
was in Russia a few years ago, the Chechyn war was going full blast. I was
told by Russians that it was just one of several trouble spots. The others
were less spectacular and were not making the newspapers. To achieve what
you are asking us to may take another step in political and perhaps even
biological evolution. I sincerely hope we can make it.
Ed Weick
