A Truly Great Question!
May 12th, 2006
“The future, what’s that?”
-Belisario, one of a group of hunter-gatherers who left the Columbian jungle to join the modern world
This was the “Quotation of the Day” from yesterday’s New York Times. It was lifted from the remarkable front page article about the Nukak-Maku and that a group of almost 80 of this Stone Age tribe wandered out of the Amazon jungle, declaring that they were ready to join the modern world.
The Nukak-Maku are clearly unprepared for their new world. “The Nukak have no concept of money, of property, of the role of government, or even of the existence of a country called Columbia. They ask whether the planes that fly overhead are moving on some sort of invisible road.”
Now that, and other parts of the article gave me a sad sense of loss on behalf of humanity, but that is not for this post.
“The future, what’s that?” What a question! What purity! What it says about how tribe has been living for centuries- without a concept called ‘future’. It strikes at the heart of being a futurist and of a blog with the tag line: ” A Future Look at Today”.
If I had to declare a religious or spiritual orientation, it would be Buddhism. From that vantage point the obvious answer is that Now, this Moment, is the only time there ever is. The past is a collection of memories, of stories, and the future is a projection, and both are illusions.
Well Belisario, this new world you are entering looks at where it has been and calls it the past, or history. When this world looks ahead to what might be and where it is going, it calls that the future. It seems that people in ‘civilization’ are very concerned about the future; planning for it, what it has in store for them, what it might look like, what they want to do with it and in it. That is where a futurist comes in. As someone who looks around clearly to see what might be shaping our future and looks ahead and predicts how it will develop, I help serve the needs of ‘civilization’ as they wrestle with planning their future.
Belisario, as someone who clearly only knows this moment, the Now, stay there, you’ll be fine.
“The future, what’s that?”
Anybody want to post an answer for Belisario?
May 12th, 2006 at 6:38 am
My desk dictionary defines “future” as “the indefinite period of time yet to be.” I can see why the Nukak-Maku may not have an abstract understanding of “indefinite” or a view of massive, potentially catastrophic changes that are embedded in our concept of “the future.” No doubt, however, they have a concrete understanding that they will die and leave their children behind, that they must not destroy the physical environment on which their children and grandchildren will depend, etc. And the article indicates that even though they do not comprehend much of the external modern world, some things had happened that required them to leave their forest and join it. (Within a generation or so they will probably have college graduates, government ministers, etc.) Abstractly we understand “the future” and they don’t, but on a concrete level I’m wondering if it may be the other way around.
— David Finkel
May 12th, 2006 at 6:42 am
I would like to know what they are running from? What do they know that we don’t? What is happening, or not, deep inside the jungle where they have existed for centuries that would make them enter the “modern” world.
Then I would enrourage them to go back if they could. “invisible road?” That beautiful, child-like innocence will not help them in this world. This makes me sad.
May 12th, 2006 at 7:59 am
There can be no doubt that they saw the future and they knew it was bleak. As the Times said, they left probably because of the encroachments of the rest of the world – the coca growers, the marxist guerillas.
As some of the last hunter gatherers disappear from the earth, we realize from this story a loss of self sufficiency and independence — not just for the Nukak, but for all of us. Our biosphere is shrinking, our people more interdependent — and the need, and therefore the opportunity, to work together to revitalize the planet, our jungle, have never been greater.
May 12th, 2006 at 8:28 am
Stephen – Yes! Absolutely yes! I couldn’t agree more.
And I agree with Dave’s comment above about being sad. Combining the two comments, we all must find some way to preserve what the Nukak represents by bringing it into who we are and how we move forward together
David
May 13th, 2006 at 4:08 am
The Future: to some it is defined by their respective past, therefore more of the same. To some it is defined by someone else’s definition, to some it doesn’t really matter, whatever. Combine these perspectives with child-like dreamers and maybe we can approach the future with more regard for all species, the continued existence of our planet and improved legacies for future generations to ponder and consider for their respective days to come…
May 15th, 2006 at 9:31 am
Has anyone read Daniel Quinn’s book “Ishmael”? This is what he was talking about — the complete and total obliteration of any sort of human/cultural knowledge other than exploitation and force. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is touched by this story and feels a little sad. And then I would ask you, why do we all sit around and feel sad and that’s the extent of it? What can we do? Or are we all abandonded to this sort of devastation…? This kind of culture does not stay alive merely through stories (although that is part of it), but actions as well.