Aborginal culture

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Hi people. Ok a quick rundown of this thread, recently at School some aboriginals came in and presented workshops consisting of music and aboriginal paintings and interactive storys and thier own thoughts on thier culture and I have to say/type I found it fascinating(sp), thier way of thinking.

They said that thier beliefs were that we are all brothers and sisters and that if everyobdy shared thier food noone in the World would be hungry, if everyone was kind there would be no hate crime and so on etc and however simple it sounds(ed) it truely was inspiring as every word sounded so well meant. So my question is, are any of you inspired or even fascinated by a particular culture and if so why?

Interesting... I have some precolumbian American friends.
Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and South American culture is also interesting.

I think that pyramids all over earth were antediluvian equivalents of radio stations,
and at some later time became used as tombs and religious things. As the
knowledge was forgotten, the laypeople saw the priests go up the pyramids
to "talk to the gods" and predict what would happen soon thereafter, such as
news of an army that was on its way. - And in the future eon,
Ronald McDonald Clown might as an artifact be mistaken for a statue of a god.

I remember assuming that everyone took care of each other in early childhood
and was greatly disturbed to find out otherwise, and about atomic bombs and
stuff. Before the Berlin wall fell, it was a constant concern that USSR and USA
would start a "global thermonewclear war".

Hi! I'm Hawaiian which is why I was attracted to the thread. (Hawaiians are called the aboriginal people of Hawai`i). Anyway, I wouldn't say that we have such idealized notions - our way is very practical though some see it as superstitious, etc. But that's only because they don't understand the reasoning behind the practices. It has taught me to be respectful of others' religions and gods because we have many, many gods, some of them ancestors. So, when I go somewhere, even if the god there is not mine, I am respectful, which I think goes a long way with regards to what the aboriginals who visited your school were saying.

And speaking of giving food - we place great emphasis on generosity and little on ownership. In fact, it is dangerous to compliment a Hawaiian on something or they might give it to you.

Native American (including precolumbian) and some African cultures have a great deal in common with us, too. If you like it, maybe you could make it your interest! I know a lot of great Hawaiian books if you want titles.

So, I liked your post!

While I don't much like modern Aboriginals (I'm from Australia) I do like the way their culture worked before we white people ruined everything. As I understand it they had no concept of ownership, as in nobody owned anything, a group might own something, but an individual never considered it, there weren't any wars either. They were more like animals and I mean that as a good thing, they were some of the only humans content with what they had and with no desire for power or control over other living things.
'
Now though, it's the opposite.

I tried not to be racist, I respect their old culture but not the new one the white guys like me have forged.

Pensieve, you make me think about Thich Naht Hahn, the Buddhist monk. He said in his book Miracle of Mindfulness that when we are angry, we are anger, when we are happy, we are happiness, etc., because these things don't exist without mind. So I think about people I have found difficult, like a certain relative who is very abrasive. When I see him and he is belligerent, he is, at that moment, belligerence and that is a habit of mind with him so it's easy to dislike him. But if I look deeper I realize that he was born an arrogant baby. He could not have been arrogant at the age of 1. He was born, like all babies having a preference for gentleness and kindness. It is only later that he learned this behavior and it's clear to me that he does it defensively.

So, when I think of what Avarice said, I think of so many examples of indigenous people the world over who suffer from poverty, substance abuse, high levels of incarceration, bad health, etc. It is the same with my people as well and it is profoundly sad to see the people you love dearly suffer. So, maybe when Avarice sees these unfortunate people he/she (please pardon me, Avarice, I didn't think to click on your profile before I replied) sees all of these terrible things and associates it with these people. Without seeing the separation between the problem and the person, it is difficult to see that one truly dislikes the problem - the despair, alcoholism, anger, etc.