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Steven Newcomb's avatar

Greetings John,

Thanks for sharing your information about the "Kinship Worldview" that is being advanced by Ms. Narvaez and Four Arrows (aka Don Jacobs), which is what the followers of the Wolakot/Woope Worldview call in English "All Our [My] Relations." I'm sure they are doing good work.

English is such an interesting language isn't it? It sometimes seems to create a gravitational pull toward conflict, than a pull toward meeting one another in a collaborative manner. Choosing to not engage with the ideas expressed in a particular essay strikes me as a peculiar response to a piece of writing. We might call it a "non-response response." That being said, I find it odd that nowhere in your statement do you use the word "domination," despite my Substack being titled "The Domination Chronicles" and despite me using the word or a variation thereof at least 18 times in my "Dreaming the World" article.

You suggest that I have "vilified" the "west" but given that my article is focused on challenging patterns of domination and the claim of a right of domination, wouldn't it have been more on target to suggest that I am guilty of vilifying domination and the claim of a right of domination? Vilify is such an interesting choice of words, "To make vile, debase, degrade, to debase by report, to defame, See Malign." Also, "To speak evil of" [domination]. But, come to think of it, some readers might consider it bizarre to criticize someone for writing negatively about domination.

You've evidently assessed my article and decided that I've also ignored "our shared history [of] thousands of generations," and thereby engaged in an "unscientific exercise of shame/blame," while demonstrating "self-righteous posturing," albeit perhaps "inadvertently." You say that "we" (me, I?) "need to stop" taking this "unscientific" approach "and find ways to restore those tried and true ways of living," despite the ongoing existence of the domination system and its claim of a right of domination, which makes such a restoration, to a great extent, rather untenable, or only tenable in a context of on ongoing and unceasing system of domination.

And, after all this, you've generously promoted the book of your friends "Restoring the Kinship Worldview." As if to say "forget about all this domination talk. Look over there, for that's where the truly important information is to be found." In any case, thanks for reaching out. I do appreciate it.

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John Stuckey's avatar

I think it's important to acknowledge/understand that we ALL shared what Darcia Narvaez and Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows/Don Jacobs) referred to as the 'Kinship Worldview,' until the plague of 'Civilization' came to create the various systems of hierarchy under which we all suffer. The surpluses which totalitarian agriculture produced led to those hierarchical structures, but our species spent all but the last 10-20 (still being investigated) thousand years living with various examples of that view of the world and our places in it. Vilifying the 'west,' while ignoring our shared history, thousands of generations, turns the discussion into an unscientific exercise of shame/blame. We all need to stop with the self-righteous posturing, no matter how inadvertent, and find ways to restore those tried and true ways of living. The full title of the book I referenced is 'Restoring the Kinship Worldview,' and I highly recommend it.

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Peter d'Errico's avatar

“we” as homo sapiens are collectively compelled and directed by systems of domination to use the power of the mind and our “human” behavior to create and co-create the world of domination we experience.

The most important reason to pay attention to the natural world and not the virtual...

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Melanie Lenart's avatar

Thank you, Steve, for the insights you share here. I feel that as long as we have the “space”—metaphor, and actual land area—we can dream a better world. Without that, it gets much more challenging, no?

I know land loss was a big issue when England took possession of Ireland, with only 7% of the land held by the Irish at one point. Perhaps that was at the root of the problem in Louis XIV’s time as well … if people have access to soil, water and seeds, they can find a way.

I welcome any additional thoughts, here or in your future posts.

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Mankh's avatar

Thanks, Steve, thought-provoking about the sorta parallel worlds, as they sometimes overlap, yet with discipline, conscious choice, tapping into dreams and other guidance methods, etc., one can disengage from 'buying into' the commodification of consciousness which puts a value on everything rather than allowing for a direct experience, for understanding the function of a being, for example, the healing aspect of a plant rather than is it cost-effective to produce and market. And btw "It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it." - George Carlin.

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Mankh's avatar

"work with and assist the Life-Force-of-the Universe to Continue Creating and Sustaining the Beauty of Life" ... Wonderful reminder/affirmation.

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Trace L Hentz's avatar

We have work to do

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Krishna Singh Khalsa's avatar

The Hero Twins killed off the Dominating Lords of the Underworld at the Lords own request to experience the Twins magic of coming back from the dead, and they requested the Twins then bring them back to life. But the Twins didn’t bring them back from their demise. We must do the same, To “Stop propagating the Dominator in Ourselves.”

Great phone conversation tonight.

Gracias!

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Krishna Singh Khalsa's avatar

Steve, When you see the Ancient Mayan version of the Hero Twins Story (Popol Vuh - The Ancient Mayan Story of Creation), it will become absolutely scientifically, mystically clear why the Mayans and Indigenous Peoples from Arctic to the Antarctic Circle had no Dominators. Because the Shamanic Hero Twins tricked and killed them all.

I have the video on Dropbox but haven’t figured out how to transfer it to you. THIS is So-o-o-o timely to your topic in question here.

Please call me and talk me through the transfer.

All the very best to you,

Krishna Singh Khalsa

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