I think its such a pity that so many languages and cultures are dying out. Like Emerson was saying, it may go against the convention, but the thoughts your own brain creates are your own personal genius. Well, these indigenous people thought up this entire culture, language, beliefs, values. It is their personal genius, and now it's dying out with them. It's not remembered, it's not recorded, and it's most certainly not being valued enough, if we aren't trying to preserve their thoughts in some way.
For the question of whether or not I would go and live with these kinds of people for a year...I would say, yes. Yes, I would. It would be hard, for the first few days, maybe even a few weeks, but the knowledge that it would give me of myself would be of far more value than the ability to go on FaceBook to send virtual flowers to a person I barely know.
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I have the same feeling also, so many important cultures are disappearing, which is very sad. I admire your courage to live in totally different world, but remember, there are a lot of things to consider.
"It is their personal genius, and now it's dying out with them."...very well worded and poetic sentence. Love it. HOwever i feeel as if...what they have achieved will never die. I agree with you that we must not kill it and absolutely learn and possibly experience the culture but I definitely feel that the road/journey/science that they have developed and are taking will not vanish without a trace. Then again many different indigenous groups have been forgotten about, but I think that the road is still there being led out by others in our world. ya i know weird lol
I ADMIRE YOU BEING ABLE TO GO LIVE WITH THEM FOR A yEAR!!! and I think you will be able to as well
I also think it's a pity that so many languages and cultures are dying out. I think that you are right in saying that it is not valued enough. I think we are probably all to vain to even bother to value the idea of different cultures.
I wish I could be like you, and be able to go and live with these people. I think maybe one day, I will have enough courage to leave the things that are familiar to me and go and live with them. It would definitely change the way you view the world.
goin to live in the wild and learn all the techiques they have it much better than going on facebook all day, I hate being trapped here by technology, it's impossible not to not use it!!><
I don't know, virtual flowers are pretty special.... kidding. I agree with you Cindy, I do think that we are in danger of losing forever the lessons and life of so many cultures. While I would like to agree with Kevin, that we will not really lose what they have taught us, I feel that is being too idealistic. In the same way that if a plant becomes extinct in the rain forest we can recreate its physical properties in the science lab but we can never fully recapture its true essence, I fear that once "we" have pushed all indigenous cultures of the world into extinction, "we" will be the ones who stand to lose the most.
I was laughing out loud to see Facebook referenced in the same passage as indigenous cultures. You summarize well the ideas about the ever-diminishing ethnosphere.
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