Sample Value Summary
Respect is one of the most important values of American Indians. A person should respect people, family, elders, the community, nature, and the planet. All living things should be valued and respected. Even when a person must kill to eat and survive, there is great care taken in respecting the animal that must die so that people may eat. American Indians have great respect for the land as it provides food, drink, and shelter. We are part of the land. In respecting the land, we are respecting ourselves. Respect is at the core of the traditional belief system of American Indians. Sample Value Scripts Respect Script 1 Mark: Wow. Morgan, look at all the berries on that bush. Morgan: Yes, there are a lot of them. I am sure that we can pick enough to make an awesome pie? Mark: We only have the one container. We could fill up at least 10 containers. I am going to run back to the house in order to get more containers. We can pick all the berries and make a ton of pies. Morgan: We could do that, but let’s not. There are other people and animals that will benefit from these berries. We should only take what we need. The forest needs to provide for many animals. Respect Script 2 Mark: This would be a great place to camp. We can chop down those two trees for firewood and make a great fire. Morgan: Those trees are alive. It would be much better to scavenge for dead branches than kill a living tree for firewood. Mark: It is only two trees, and it would be easier than looking for deadfall. Morgan: Well, they’re not just trees. They are living things that also provide habitat for many other animals and living things. It might be more work to find deadfall, but we need to respect the forest. |