Objective: Describe three values that people consider when making decisions about the environment.
Sam explains that the Earth and everything in it was created by the Creator, and should be treated with respect (Demientieff).
Everything in the environment is in interdependent. It is important to understand the relationships when making decisions about the environment. Values play a part as the environment is cultivated by native practices. How much effort is put into it, is related to how much the environment will provide. (DeWitt)
The economic value of the environment is also different among traditional native belief systems compared to a modern extractive resource based economy. It was not based on individual monetary gain, but about the prosperity of the community. Traditionally, when great wealth was accumulated by an individual or group it would be redistributed by hosting a potlatch and giving away all things that weren’t directly need for their household. This ensured that the community was well looked after, maintaining healthier people with a greater sense of wellbeing. This process also created and strengthened allies among the people. (DeWitt)
Even when there are bountiful amounts of food, cultural protocols would determine how food would be distributed. This is based on clan relationships and responsibilities. The job of the headman is to distribute what nature was yielding to people in a way that wouldn’t strain the resource. (DeWitt)
An important aspect is the educational value of the environment. From a young age children are taught how to interact with the environment. They learn cosmology and world view, a collection of stories, intricate knowledge of environment and how things work, this knowledge base would be grown and tested through the process of curiosity and imagination. The environment also teaches readiness through recreation. There are games of competition to mimic muscle memory. Hand games keep the mind sharp. Interacting with the environment also helps intuition and quick decision making. (DeWitt)
Another important value is the ethical value of the environment. In this value is the understanding of natural law, a need to understand importance of intentions and actions, discipline self, understanding place in natural world, thoughts and words precede actions and have an effect on environment- animals will know what you’re up to. Assumed success can lead to failure. Meda would also add that other values of the environment include humility, respect, communalism, and love. (DeWitt)
Most importantly, culture is the manifestation of the relationship with the environment. Language is a harmonic representation of the environment. Indigenous language are placed based, with geographical names that described an attribute of that area helping a person to understand its cultural significance. Language also has science, culture, world view all embedded in it and it explains how to be in relationship with it. (DeWitt)