The World We Used To Live In

In The World We Used to Live In, Vine Deloria Jr. explains spirituality and religion concerning both Native Americans and non-Native American perceptions. Deloria begins by explaining how Indian spirituality is heavily commercialized and appropriated. Deloria even explains that “the mystery is largely gone” and these rituals are just that, only rituals without any real meaning that was invested behind these rituals before they became known to the public. We have turned into a consumerism society where we value “accumulating goods” which forces us to set aside Native Americans' values because they don’t match with the dominant society. Deloria notes that only “the south-western tribes are to be congratulated for their protection of sacred ceremonies.” He states that they don’t let strangers into their ceremonies that might exploit them and use their rituals to gain any kind of profit. Deloria implies that in Native American culture there is a huge difference between exploitation and education but these two completely different issues seem to get blurred together at times. In the attempt to educate non-Native Americans, they open up their rituals and cultural activities to the public and in turn these sacred activities become exploited and commercialized.

This is largely due to the fact that non-Native Americans don’t value the spiritual; they only value what is visible. This is most evident when Deloria states that, “believing in nothing, we have preempted the role of the higher spiritual forces by acknowledging no greater good than what we can feel and touch.” This idea that there is value only in the material is reiterated in Ishmael and its comments on the “taker” society. Since most of the time there is no concrete material benefit in believing in spirituality, “takers” tend to degrade spiritual activities and rituals because there is an absence of physical proof.

Deloria also quotes Thomas Lewis in The Medicine Man stating “it would be helpful to return to the old religions in a new form.” Like in Ishmael, you can’t go back completely to the past. As a society we are not in the position to return to hunter-gatherers. Likewise, Deloria illustrates how Native Americans cannot return to the past. For instance, the Ghost Dance did not work because there is an inability to return completely to the past. We cannot ignore the present. Instead, both Deloria and Quinn illustrate how it is the idea of re-incorporating the past into the present that recreates a new (and perhaps better) form of religion and spirituality. Part of this incorporation of the past and the present that both Deloria and Quinn stress is achieved by having a relationship with nature. For instance, Deloria states that “being keen observers of the natural world, the people could quickly tell when something was amiss from the response of birds and animals to disturbances or the sudden changes of weather patterns.” Deloria notes how important it is to recognize the power of nature and it signs, behaviors and patterns. I definitely agree with this idea that nature is very telling and it can help us foresee what is ahead. For instance, in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston explains how first the animals moved out of the everglades followed by the Native Americans because they knew that a hurricane was coming. Hurston states that “the next day, more Indians moved east, unhurried but steady. Still a blue sky and fair weather. Beans running fine and prices good, so the Indian could be must be, wrong. You couldn’t have a hurricane when you’re making seven and eight dollars a day picking beans. Indians are dumb anyhow, always were” (155). Hurston’s words reiterate Deloria’s ideas in this article. Native Americans seem to be more in tune to nature and its systems and non-Native Americans or “takers” are more in tune to consumerism and capitalism where money runs life. If the characters in the novel were making money it couldn’t possible mean that Mother Nature would ruin their luck. There seems to be this imbedded belief by “takers” that since the material is present there is no need to listen to the immaterial or listen to nature.

Also, the fact that “leavers” (Native Americans) have a deep connection with nature while most “takers” do not is indicative of the fact that most “takers” do not value or really listen to our planet or the environment. Deloria states that “Indians were tuned in to the almost indiscernible rhythms of nature.” They have a deeply enriched connection with nature. However, “takers” instead of achieving this kind of connection, buy audio tapes of nature sounds. Instead of changing our lifestyle or attitudes we attempt to achieve the sounds of nature through recorded audio in order to feel connected in the unnatural or “concrete jungle” of the city. This type of action and thinking does not establish any kind of deep connection and I believe that it also reinforces this false belief that we do not need to change to survive.

Deloria also talks a lot about dreams and the power of dreams for Native Americans. He states that the power of dreams and the dangers of dreams are prevalent in the Native American culture. Deloria indicates that the Sioux believe that naps during the day will make them more vulnerable to bad and mischievous spirits. I believe that even in the dominant “taker” society there is always a fascination of dreams and their meaning. We have dreams books that analyze our dreams and their meanings. We have horoscopes that explain our behaviors and we have fortune tellers that predict our future. And although many of these things are seen with skepticism, people still are influenced by them. For instance, if you ask people, “what is your horoscope sign?” the majority of people will know what sign they are even if they don’t believe in the implications of horoscopes. And personally, although I don't take horoscopes very seriously, I take my dreams very seriously. The dreams that I remember upon waking usually foreshadow the future or something that is preoccupying my mind at the moment. It allows me to see my truest intentions and feelings.

Overall, the connection between Deloria and Quinn is very strong. Even though Deloria’s article deals with the specificity of Native American culture, both pieces of literature proclaim our need to have a greater relationship with nature. Both illustrate this immediate need and desire to work in harmony with the environment and nature. Progress and our quest for civilization and advancement has erased our connection with the environment and it has led us to degrade Native Americans’ close relationship with the environment. “Takers” do not see this interconnection as beneficial because it has no seemingly material value or reward. But in reality, Deloria illustrates that having a connection and a respect for the environment is highly beneficial because it helps us to “fit into the physical world in the most constructive manner” and it will have positive outcomes in the long run.