Maplin
2021-10-09 18:35:41 UTC
I saw a documentary a few years ago about a native people who *I think*
lived in the coastal plan somewhere in part of SE Asia. They only saw a
white man (or any other "modern" man) less than a century ago. They live
among trees in shallow water, in tree houses, and canoe wade and swim
around the place and have a continuous, unbroken traditional culture
going back many centuries. They call themselves the Insect People and
worship the praying mantis.
So, in the documentary, they find someone who can speak to them and talk
to the old shaman of the village. They've seen the white and other men
coming, digging and industrial machinery and mining getting ever closer.
He knew all his magic and all his spirits and ancestors were powerless
to save his people from the strangers. So, he decided his people had
better learn about them, learn their ways, live with them, and learn how
to survive, as they had seen or heard the fate of other native peoples.
And they did it.
Later was one of the Insect People's young women, in traditional dress
which was grass skirt, bone through her nose and basically not much
else. Sitting at an electron microscope, scanning blood samples of her
tribe for TB and malaria. I was very impressed. She held qualifications
to work in labs and for medical companies and had turned them to the
service of her people. First they went and saw, the new ones had schools
the kids went to and became adults. The adults ran the place. So, they
sent THEIR kids to the new ones' schools, and they'd learned the new
laws knowing that's how they must defend themselves. And they damn well
did it too. Then they cut back to the old shaman who'd seen this all
happen. I gather he prayed for guidance and had a vision or message and
that told him what to do, and he told them they must have children to
send to the white schools, they had about a generation to do it he
reckoned. And the doco had been made 20-odd years later.
Through all this, they maintained as much as possible of their
traditions, with the obvious difference that now they had contact with
the outside world. Their religion gave them all the guidance to deal
with the crisis of contact, through the shaman. And he made decisions
that saved them but did not cease to pray and worship as he always had.
That impresses me very much. Religion is an almost basic instinct in
humans I think, or at least appeals to our basics. This isolated society
had what looks to me like a great example of human religion, the way
humans must have always done it. It's an almost basic human need to make
gods of what they believe. I'm not here to try and criticise that or
make any judgement calls, just to marvel at the way human beings do
this. I'm fascinated with the breadth and scope of religion in the USA
today, because in Australia dedicated church goers are getting pretty
thin on the ground. America would be such fertile grounds for new
religions, because whole generations are used to the idea of going to
church and shared beliefs anyway. Aussies just piss their pants whether
in fear, apathy or humour and avoid joining anything.
One day I would like to see that doco again, get in touch with them and
ask if they can contact the woman with the bone in her nose at the
electron microscope, and tell her I think she is a great woman and I
admire her very much. If the old shaman is still alive I would like to
tell him I thought he was pretty damned impressive and saved his people.
And best wishes to all of them from me
lived in the coastal plan somewhere in part of SE Asia. They only saw a
white man (or any other "modern" man) less than a century ago. They live
among trees in shallow water, in tree houses, and canoe wade and swim
around the place and have a continuous, unbroken traditional culture
going back many centuries. They call themselves the Insect People and
worship the praying mantis.
So, in the documentary, they find someone who can speak to them and talk
to the old shaman of the village. They've seen the white and other men
coming, digging and industrial machinery and mining getting ever closer.
He knew all his magic and all his spirits and ancestors were powerless
to save his people from the strangers. So, he decided his people had
better learn about them, learn their ways, live with them, and learn how
to survive, as they had seen or heard the fate of other native peoples.
And they did it.
Later was one of the Insect People's young women, in traditional dress
which was grass skirt, bone through her nose and basically not much
else. Sitting at an electron microscope, scanning blood samples of her
tribe for TB and malaria. I was very impressed. She held qualifications
to work in labs and for medical companies and had turned them to the
service of her people. First they went and saw, the new ones had schools
the kids went to and became adults. The adults ran the place. So, they
sent THEIR kids to the new ones' schools, and they'd learned the new
laws knowing that's how they must defend themselves. And they damn well
did it too. Then they cut back to the old shaman who'd seen this all
happen. I gather he prayed for guidance and had a vision or message and
that told him what to do, and he told them they must have children to
send to the white schools, they had about a generation to do it he
reckoned. And the doco had been made 20-odd years later.
Through all this, they maintained as much as possible of their
traditions, with the obvious difference that now they had contact with
the outside world. Their religion gave them all the guidance to deal
with the crisis of contact, through the shaman. And he made decisions
that saved them but did not cease to pray and worship as he always had.
That impresses me very much. Religion is an almost basic instinct in
humans I think, or at least appeals to our basics. This isolated society
had what looks to me like a great example of human religion, the way
humans must have always done it. It's an almost basic human need to make
gods of what they believe. I'm not here to try and criticise that or
make any judgement calls, just to marvel at the way human beings do
this. I'm fascinated with the breadth and scope of religion in the USA
today, because in Australia dedicated church goers are getting pretty
thin on the ground. America would be such fertile grounds for new
religions, because whole generations are used to the idea of going to
church and shared beliefs anyway. Aussies just piss their pants whether
in fear, apathy or humour and avoid joining anything.
One day I would like to see that doco again, get in touch with them and
ask if they can contact the woman with the bone in her nose at the
electron microscope, and tell her I think she is a great woman and I
admire her very much. If the old shaman is still alive I would like to
tell him I thought he was pretty damned impressive and saved his people.
And best wishes to all of them from me