Housatonic —The Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire hosted two well-known native American elders who shared their perspectives on our world on July 30.
Clifford Mahooty, an elder of the Zuni Pueblo tribal nation, and David Lonebear Sanipass, a Sagen or spiritual teacher of the Mi’kmaq Nation of northern Maine, brought the wisdom and ancient teachings of their traditions. The event was billed as helping others to learn from indigenous people how to live in harmony with the natural world as they have done for centuries.
Both men spoke about the sense of long tradition that was imbued in them as children. They freely referenced centuries-old traditions and spoke of their relevance to all tribal nations. Mahooty, a retired environmental engineer and a national environmental advocate for recognized tribal communities, spoke about man’s connection to the earth. His wide-ranging talk noted the PCB pollution in our backyard to the waste from uranium mines in his southwest home. Mahooty talked of how the pace of resource extraction has accelerated without regard for the future, an idea foreign to indigenous people who used only what the earth gave them and then only as much as needed.
Sanipass, himself a mathematician and scientist, focused his talk on interpersonal relationships. While acknowledging the serious issues in our world, he used anecdotes and personal stories to speak about the power of kindness to change ourselves and those around us. The oral traditions, known as the Star Teachings, were passed down to him by untold generations and are founded on compassion, kindness, and happiness .
“They are among a handful of elders who are bringing the ancient wisdom of the indigenous peoples to non-natives,” the church said in a Facebook post previewing the event.
“Sharing this knowledge is meant to serve as a catalyst for the expansion of human consciousness so that others can learn to live in harmony with nature and all living things, as they have done for centuries.”
