The Colonial Experience Has Depleted Trust
Indigenous peoples around the world share a set of common creation stories and belief systems. Their tenets of Respect, Kinship and Tradition have kept the planet healthy and communities thriving for roughly 50,000 years. For one reason or another most humans have lost sight of the importance of, and what it takes, to live in harmony with the land and others.
My corporate roles straddled a number of sectors. I traveled a lot for business, often to parts where I’d be the first European the villagers and factory workers had seen. I met some beautiful people, several of whom became close friends. In real time, I witnessed commerce, industrialization and gentrification create enormous divisions of wealth, mass migration to capital cities and an eventual loss of cultural identity and community.
My friends would often talk in disbelief of the pace at which the face of their nations had changed. They were deeply saddened that their children were losing sight of the old ways and the importance of respect and community. The landscape had also changed before my very eyes. Farming communities shrank, factories began to pollute the waterways, forests were cleared and opencast mining scarred traditional lands. Somehow I had to bring awareness to these issues and give the oppressed an unfiltered voice. Their stories are not mine to tell, but it is my responsibility to use my privilege to let others know what’s going on, and it is my choice to support indigenous communities globally.
Some remarkable people have made a significant impression on me since moving to the US from Australia in 2005. They have helped shape my worldview, and honored me with an entree into vibrant cultures and honor codes that had been lacking in my so-called privileged life.