Cooperation, collectivism, and harmony.
Historically, native societies needed a high level of cooperation to survive (e.g., obtaining sufficient food). American Indians and Alaska Natives place value on the importance of the group rather than on the individual. Sharing is vital. Likewise, there is considerable emphasis on living in harmony with nature and with others. To ensure group harmony, groups generally reach decisions by consensus rather than by majority rule. | Are you more cooperative or competitive? Do you value individual efforts more or less than group efforts? Do you see value in arguing? Do you see benefits to a more cooperative society? Do you see drawbacks? Do you see the influence of your family and your family's culture in these beliefs? Is nature something to be conquered or organized? |
Modesty and humility. In some ways, this grows out of a focus on collective effort and harmony. In American Indian and Alaska Native cultures, efforts at self-aggrandizement are typically seen as inappropriate.
Modesty means that native people may appear cautious with words and actions. Being humble means that one listens to others and doesn't talk for the sake of talking or to make oneself appear more important. Words are used sparingly, and because words are believed to have power, a lot of thought is given to the content and delivery of speech. Sometimes nothing is said.
Avoiding eye contact is another aspect of humility, because direct eye contact may be considered a challenge. | Do you feel the need for personal recognition? How important is modesty to you? Does your culture reward humility?
Do you think people who don't talk much are shy or disengaged, or do you see other reasons for such behavior? Do you appreciate people who are good conversationalists? Do you assume that people who talk about themselves are more open? Are you suspicious of people who don't? As you listen, do you feel that you need to fill up the silences?
Do you think it is important to make eye contact to assert yourself or to create a connection with another individual? Do you assume that people who don't make eye contact have something to hide? |
| Respect for personal freedom and individual autonomy. Although at first this may seem contrary to the emphasis on cooperation and valuing the group above the individual, it is actually an important part of it. For a close-knit society to work, each member has to respect that others will act honorably and for the good of the whole. This also means that personal advice is not often given, because to do so might suggest that the person receiving the advice did not already know the correct course of action. | Do you think it helps other people to be instructed on how to act? In your culture, is advice freely given? Is being able to give and take criticism considered important? In your culture, is it important for people to make their own mistakes, or is it important for someone to give advice when they believe it is needed? |
Respect for tradition and elders. Valuing tradition is necessary if a culture is to survive against the social forces that push it to assimilate. American Indian and Alaska Native cultures perceive respect for tradition as more important than innovation and change.
Native cultures have a great deal of respect for elders as those who survived adversity and gained wisdom from it. Those elders help maintain traditions.
American Indian and Alaska Native cultures originally communicated by spoken word, which contributes to their respect for this oral tradition. Such cultures prioritized spoken traditions and endeavored to keep them unchanged, whereas written tradition allows change while still preserving past versions. In many native communities, maintaining oral traditions is very important; some forbid writing down traditional stories. | How important are your own cultural traditions to you? Does your culture's history influence how you value those traditions? Do you think that the ability to change is more important than maintaining ties to the past? Are children in your culture taught the traditional language of the family? Do you know songs or stories in your primary language?
Does your culture value youth more than age? Does your culture look on its elderly as sources of wisdom gained from experience? In your culture, are the older members emulated as role models? |
Work should be done to meet needs, not to accumulate wealth. Native societies did not traditionally stockpile resources or wealth. Strong communal bonds fostered resource sharing. People were not left to fend for themselves. Some native languages do not even have words for ownership in the same sense that European languages do. In these cultures, people who take more than they need would be viewed with suspicion.
People may gain respect not for having lots of possessions, but rather for their generosity in giving possessions away. Native societies value generosity and hospitality. Some native cultures traditionally give gifts or distribute surplus wealth. The Athabaskan and other Northwest native cultures hold potlatches to celebrate or honor specific events, whereby one group may host the celebration and distribute gifts to the guests (Langdon, 2002). | How important are material things to you? Does your culture praise people who are wealthy? Does it consider wealth a mark of greatness? Does your culture encourage people to work no matter what? Does it encourage accumulation as a bulwark against future problems? Is it important to pass on wealth to children?
How important is it in your culture for people to be independent, and does that affect your attitude toward giving to others and accepting others' generosity? Can you trace your beliefs about money, such as the relative importance of generosity or thriftiness, to your family and your family culture? |
| Spiritual orientation in all aspects of life. American Indian and Alaska Native spiritual traditions do not separate the spiritual and material, but rather see the two as inexorably linked. Thus, the spiritual pervades daily life and is not compartmentalized. This also means that the natural world can itself be perceived as spiritual or mystical, and what is observed in daily life can teach a spiritual lesson. | How central to your life are your own spiritual and religious beliefs? Are they always present, or do you put aside times to focus on spiritual matters and at other times concern yourself with practical things? Does your culture or religion see the physical world as cut off from the divine or spiritual world? Does your culture define the spiritual as embodied in one host or in everything and every being? |
| Cooperation with nature. According to American Indian and Alaska Native spiritual beliefs (described in the East), all of nature is alive and worthy of respect. The Earth and all that is on it are considered sacred and worthy of protection. Native societies could traditionally gain sustenance from the natural world in a relatively resource-rich environment, which encouraged this respect. These cultures found that maintaining balance helped resources last. | What are your attitudes toward nature and your place in it? Does your culture believe human beings are at the summit of all things on Earth or merely a part of it, and how does that belief affect attitudes toward the rest of the world? Do you think that scarcity of resources and competition with others means that people should take what they can get from the Earth while it lasts? |
The present is more important than the future. Emphasis is on living from day to day and is measured by natural occurrences (e.g., seasonal changes, sunrise/sunset, moon phases). This, combined with attitudes that prioritize listening and paying attention to the world around them, leads these societies to be focused on the present. Focusing too much on the future might keep people from paying attention to the present. Some native languages do not even have a future tense.
American Indian and Alaska Native cultures also value patience, believing that things will be done in their own time. This means that it is not as important to get things done on time as it is to let things go their natural course. | How important is it in your culture to plan for the future? Do you think society needs careful planning to function best? Do you believe that schedules and deadlines are necessary to be productive?
What are your attitudes about time and promptness? Which do you value more: getting things done on schedule or taking the time to get things done as they should be? Can you trace your attitude about promptness to your family's habits? Is your family from a culture where people value promptness? Does your culture value patience? |
