theme: tribalism

circles of concern:
contemporary traditional tribal peoples &
contemporary modern non-tribal peoples globally

prescriptions:

• For contemporary traditional tribal peoples, more righteous tribalism means continued and increasing resistance to modern anti-tribal influences, and contributing to a global resurgence of tribalism.
• For contemporary modern non-tribal peoples, more righteous tribalism means repentance of anti-tribalism, and retribalization. Non-tribal peoples should embrace tribal values and retribalize themselves.
• For both contemporary peoples, more righteous tribalism means forming new tribes and new forms of tribalism. Genuine post modernism must be free of anti-tribalism and commited to embracing tribal values and tribal existence in creative new ways.

visions:
Vine Deloria, Jr. of the Sioux nations and other Native Americans envision a more favorable alternative to continuing with modern anti-tribalism. They envision a future where non-tribal peoples repent of non-tribal and anti-tribal ways, and where resurgent tribalisms among tribal peoples empower non-tribal peoples with tribal wisdom needed to become rightly tribal.
This is a vision of a genuinely post modern world where righteous tribal values will be embraced in creative new ways.
Moreover, Deloria and other Native Americans see small signs of coming change in the present. Among the most important of such signs is a resurgence of tribalism among some tribal peoples, Native American resolve to teach righteous tribal values to non-tribal and wrongly tribal peoples, and a new attention to tribalism on the part of some modern non-tribal persons.