Dian Miller’s piece serves as a comparison of the similarities
and differences between Indigenous and Western methods of thought. In
Indigenous thought, there is far less of a binary method of deciphering the
truth which lends itself well to why the Indigenous feel much more connected to
La Pachamama. In Western thought, these two entities are treated much more separately
and with different levels of regard for the earth. In Indigenous culture, “humans
and their societies are not isolated at the pinnacle of hierarchy of being but
rather are always related and relating” (Million 98). This idea of connectedness
relates to “buen vivir” because Indigenous people value relationships to the
past, present, future, earth, and people because they are constantly evaluating
their role on this planet.
Priscilla Solis Ybarra writes about “buen vivir” in a
similar manner and emphasizes how Indigenous cultures do not place the same
value on material that Western culture does. As these cultures do not strive to
create a social hierarchy, particularly one centering around the idea of
material wealth, there is far less oppression and a greater connectedness to
the earth. The earth is not viewed as simply a source for capital gains, but
rather a source that sustains us and we sustain it.
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