I remember an afternoon when I’d stood with an Achuar hunter in the rainforest. He aimed his blowgun at a bird in a tree. Then he lowered it without shooting and stared at the bird.“What happened?” I asked.“I realized...
I remember an afternoon when I’d stood with an Achuar hunter in the rainforest. He aimed his blowgun at a bird in a tree. Then he lowered it without shooting and stared at the bird.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I realized that it’s the nesting season for that bird. His mate is sitting on eggs. If I kill him, those eggs won’t hatch.”
Later that night, as we relaxed around the fire, he told me that Achuar men are raised to understand that the birds and animals they hunt must be loved. “We always ask permission before killing,” he said. “That bird this afternoon did not give me permission.”
While I know that, as individuals, indigenous people have their faults – like all of us – their traditional commitment to providing for future generations reflects a profound wisdom. They know, as we should, the importance of protecting that which serves them, their children and grandchildren. They may cut down a tree to build a home or provide wood for their fires or they may kill an animal for food, but they do so from a place of respect and a dedication to the future survival of all the things that make life livable. Let’s learn from these incredible teachers!
I’m so looking forward to discussing these ideas (and much more) with my webinar group, starting in just one day — Friday, Nov. 3rd at 11 A.M. PDT.
There is still time to sign up for my 5-session video course, which starts tomorrow — and will be fully recorded in case you can't make the live sessions. I’m eager to share with you ideas and approaches that empower our shift towards an Ecological Civilization, enhancing the well-being of people, animals, and plants — our shared home on this beautiful planet.
Hoping to see you at Indigenous Wisdom and Proven Practices that Will Change Your Life and Create an Ecological Civilization.
