Tribalism, new tribalism, tribal revival
A tribe is
a group of people sharing material and immaterial things, often with a common
past, heritage or gene-pool, but these days the notion of a tribe is equally
applicable on movements and groups in cyberspace.
In the past
50 years, anthropologists have greatly revised the understanding of the tribe.
Franz Boas removed the idea of unilineal cultural
evolution from the realm of serious anthropological research as too simplistic,
allowing tribes to be studied in their own right, rather than stepping stones
to civilization or "living fossils". Anthropologists such as Richard Borshay Lee and Marshall Sahlins
began publishing studies that showed tribal life as an easy, safe life, the
opposite of the traditional theoretical supposition. In the title to his book, Sahlins referred to these tribal cultures as "the
Original Affluent Society," not for their material wealth, but for their
combination of leisure and lack of want.
This work
is for the progression of humanity and the enlightenment of ourselves, such as
that advocated by John Zerzan or Daniel Quinn. These
philosophers have led to new tribalists pursuing what
Daniel Quinn dubbed the "New Tribal Revolution". The new tribalists use the term "tribalism" not in its
widely thought of derogatory sense, but to refer to what they see as the
defining characteristics of tribal life: namely, an open, egalitarian,
classless and cooperative community. New tribalists
insist that this is, in fact, the natural state of humanity, and proven by two
million years of human evolution.
In an open
letter to the Occupy protesters, Quinn described the Occupy movement as the
"New Tribal Revolution," a term he first used in Beyond Civilization.
In our day and age the old tribal awareness, once rooted in genetic and ethnic connections, is changing, people feel a tribal connection based on common cultural patters, shared expressions like music, literature, sports or just common interests. The internet and its social networking opportunities enhances this trend. So there are tribes of people interested and active in this or that hobby, activity or subject.
A special kind of tribal awareness, and one that has deep roots in many indigenous cultures, is the feeling that a tribe shares a magical understanding, a sacred and to some extent secret core. We can call these kinds of tribes the tribes of magic.
This magical feeling goes beyond the religious, it has to do with the spiritual connectedness to the all, with nature, the earth, with the notion that we are all one. Anyone who has experienced the deep connection of indigenous and sometimes age-old tribes understands this, but magical tribes have also developed in our modern world. In many forms, sometimes diametrically opposed to current values, like the Cathars then and the Hell’s Angels now, sometimes hidden in remote locations like the Essenes then and religious sects nowadays.
What matters
is to acknowledge the magical,
apart from ethical or moral values,
to honour the sense of connectedness, with each other and the wider all. Especially as this sense of connectedness
is suppressed, antagonized,
often deemed illegal or criminal,
this sometimes leads to resistance, revolution or deviant behaviour. Tribes of
magic in that sense are often repressed and deemed anti-social and their members prosecuted and worse. This
polarisation - and history is full of examples, the Cathars are but one example - actually enhances the tribal
feeling and group cohesion, a common enemy unites like nothing else.
The value of the tribes of magic is that they often, not always, preserve deep knowledge and wisdom and maintain a connection with the past, with traditions in danger of disappearance, with perennial understanding lost in our material affluence.
Magical tribes are the salt of the earth, and there are many different salts! An example, the Christiania people and the Ruigoord folks from Amsterdam came together in July 2008 in Copenhagen, both are magical tribes and had the opportunity to share and exchange the magic they carry!
A meeting of the tribes of magic, not aimed at convincing each other or the world, but just celebrating the diversity, respecting the variance of beliefs, rituals and worldviews is a great way to spread the message of tolerance and respect the world needs, today as ever.
It can also help individual tribe members to learn from others, to widen their view, to become a global and yet tribal human being. The quality and influence of any tribe depends on their common good, but also on the level of awareness of the individual members.
L.Sala
June 12, 2008
Two Urban Tribes Meeting
(2008 Christiania, Denmark)
A manifesto of
celebration
Enjoying
our union, our differences, our common ground, our sharing.
Ruigoord and
What and how
Urban tribes, as we are, share the following characteristics:
·We have our own
style and way of living,
·We are organic, in
the sense that problems are seen as opportunities, that we change as we go
along.
·We are natural, in
the sense of honouring the earth and what it has to give, of celebrating the
seasons and making “natural” an inspiration rather than a label.
·We are a link in a
chain passing on knowledge, wisdom and tolerance between generations, cultures
and beliefs. That chain of human contact is basic and comes out in art, in
festivals and in taking care of each other.
·Individualism and
collectivism come together in the tribal spirit, which is beyond the political.
It honours tradition and yet despises worn out ways, we are a bridge between
the prehistoric and the future, between the shamanic vision and the age of Aquarius.
·We promote
recycling of goods and materials, but also of ideas and ideals.
·We believe in a way
of life that matters, that is worth fighting for, that fosters respect. A life
where it doesn’t matter what you are but what you do.
·We seek harmony,
bringing out the best in people in their varying colours and tempos and yet
making ourselves heard and seen in a peaceful way. Conflict can lead to
harmony, new perspectives.
·Small is beautiful,
so we aim at small scale initiatives, democratic circles, to enable the freeing
of the inner child to play, to create, to share and to feel safe.
We believe ideas come first, materialism, money and institutions are
second.
We honour the common ground, the physical as well as the virtual.
Why
Urban tribes have a much wider importance than just being a nice way of
living, an escape for a happy few. As the world is in dire need of new
directions, the tribal model that has survived many a crisis in the past,
deserves attention.
ü We show the world
that there are alternative ways of living, working and being together.
ü We have visions and
dreams to share, that can be an inspiration to a much wider group.
ü We can show the
rational planners and politicians that there are people and groups that care,
that still hoist the flag of love and raise the banner of the heart.
ü The world needs
experimental zones and laboratories, schools and places where the alternative
models of interhuman relationship, government,
decision making and social structure can be developed. They don’t need to
succeed but allow us learn about processes and
possibilities.
Now!
We relate to change, by refinding ourselves,
using what makes sense, taking the best and recombe
or reshape it into a new form.
So this tree is as much a symbol as an invitation to let others join our
circle or to make their own, we wish to share our good intentions and our joy -
let’s celebrate life, let’s make this planet sing!!
We, the Ruigoord
and Christiania urban tribes, declare
Christiania, July
18, 2008,