We Believe

Call it a pet peeve, but I hate when one person attempts to speak for an entire nation, group, or tribe.

Perhaps it happens as a matter of shorthand, but Oren Lyons (Barry Lopez, "The Leadership Imperative," page 205- 213) falls right into that trap. He says "We believe that everything is made by a Creator" (209). Oh really? So there's no place for atheism in Native American cultures?

That's just one example of the "we" statement, although there are plenty more throughout the essay. Some of the time the "we" refers to Native Americans from times long ago (like before the European invasion), and sometimes it refers to the current generation. So, not only is he speaking for everyone living today, but he's speaking for all of those that lived throughout hundreds of years of history.

Does being born into a tradition make you a spokesperson for that tradition? Does it make you the authority on that tradition's history? Does it give you the right to speak for all?

Maybe I'm just being sensitive here, but...