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When
my dog and I attend the Denver rally, I already know what I'll be
thinking--that a different species, Neanderthals, could have replaced us on
those streets, if not for better methods of survival that our species
possessed. Possessed, as in past tense.
Among the theories about the Neanderthals' disappearance are 1. that our
technological superiority doomed our extinct cousins, and 2. that homo sapiens
practiced superior divisions of labor within their tribes.
In
the British sci-fi film, The Machine
(2013), a CIA-type says about us, "The technologically advanced tribe
always wins." He obviously learned nothing from the Vietnam War or Iraq or
what goes on in Gaza. But Western science tends to attribute everything
positive to "progress" and technological superiority, even if it's
undeserved. Like when it ruins a planet for that species.
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What I
learned was that I was hearing the concept of Tribe from many peoples' words
and thoughts. That linked to point number two, above, about our social
superiority over Neanderthals. However, modern Western society has replaced our
tribal superiority with corporate, governmental and class divisions of labor
that we all live under. Divisions that have taken the power away from our
tribes and given it to the 1%. A 1% intent on planetary self-extermination.
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"We
stand on the shoulders of those who came before." At one time our species
all did stand on those shoulders, and some of us are attempting to revive such
a way of life. To learn how our tribes succeeded and how we can change
ourselves for the same purpose. The purpose of survival.
If
our ancestors hadn't practiced "you are my other self," if they
hadn't stood on each other's shoulders, the tribe over in the next valley could
have exterminated us like we exterminated the Neanderthals. If we hadn't
practiced and believed such concepts, our tribes wouldn't have made it through
years of drought or glacial eras. But we did and we did survive. Up to now.
"It
takes a village to raise a child." Whether it's actually an ancient
African proverb, you hear it come up whenever a community rallies to support a
kid who suffered a tragedy of some form. However, the phrase should be
logically extended. If it takes a village to raise one child, doesn't that mean
that every child should be raised by a village? Not just the kid on prime time.
Clinton's
book of the same name wasn't received well by conservatives, one responding,
"No, it only takes a family to raise a child." Does it? Our Western
society has steadily eroded our tribal connections down to family, with mixed
results. Alienation, angst, drug addiction, suicide, mass shootings, teen
pregnancies and a few other problems might appear differently if more than
families were involved in nurturing our children. Perhaps.
Definition
of Tribe: "a
people united by ties of descent from a common ancestor, community of customs
and traditions, adherence to its leaders; a local division of an aboriginal
people."
Our
modern-day family is what remains of the old tribes. Of the village that raised
our children. Of the tribe that was superior to other homo species. Of the tribes that stood on ancestral shoulders and
said, you are my other self. Facebook and other circles of "friends"
lure us with their tribal attributes. Could such technology return to us what
we need to deal with the 1% and climate change and enable us to survive? Seems
unLikely.
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I wrestle with the concept of building my own tribe, not to lead but
to belong to. Our tribe, one of many. Locally. Of necessity, including my non-Chicano neighbors.
Something larger than my family or extended family.
Tomrrow when I head to the Colorado
Capitol Building at Civic Center Park
in
Denver for the Climate rally, I'll be wondering how many years my species yet
has to prove itself superior to the precipice we've allowed our village-idiot leaders to lead us down. And maybe
I'll see you, at 12:00pm. In future posts, I'll
work more on this Tribe concept and am interested in hearing other's thoughts.
* Daniel Escalante
manages Casa Taos, a small retreat center in Taos, N.M., for activists, educators and families. The center is a
living example of green living and draws on the ancient ways of Latino and
Indian people, while incorporating current approaches to caring for mother
earth. I highly recommend its affordable options when visiting northern N.M.
Es todo,
hoy,
RudyG
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