Inuk Ancient Dwelling at Deception Bay, Ungava Penninsula, Quebec, Canada
Looking at how organizations today promote sustainability
and corporate social responsibility becomes interesting when we draw a parallel
between 21st century thinking on this subject and what we know about
ancient civilizations and their point of view from centuries past. Modern
society can look to indigenous culture to find pathways for more environmental
stewardship, governance, preservation and other guiding concepts.
One of those principles is the idea of collaboration and the
importance of everyone contributing with the interest of achieving the best
possible outcomes. Much is being discussed today about the rise of employee
involvement. Specifically through empowering all members of the organization
greater levels of success are realized.
Indigenous society practiced democratic values that included
all members within a group relying on a Speakers Stick. The Speakers stick was
used as a prop to let others among a group including Elders or Leaders know that
the individual who held the speakers stick was given the opportunity to express
their point for the benefit of everyone without interruption or presumption.
The structure and attachment to rank and file in our contemporary office
environment traditionally has not empowered lateral free expression, moreover,
this results in a cost that companies are burdened with. Using the speakers
stick to bring forward the best solution or consensus today is certainly a good
thing, it occurs to me the stick forced everyone to just listen, we should look
to indigenous cultures for lessons about how to empower all members of the
team.
Sharing remains a vital aspect of how Indigenous culture
harmonized their communities and ensured all people were cared for. By way of
thoughtful consideration about not overharvesting wildlife or hording fish
stocks, food was made available to all those who were within the group.
Preservation specifically regarding the land and how the land provided the
bounty of food through hunting, trapping and fishing established a form of
governance among indigenous culture that ensured that only enough was taken so
that ample food supplies were in place for at least seven generations into the future.
Storytelling in oral societies remains an integral aspect of
how knowledge and wisdom was taught and passed from generation to generation.
The importance of stories and the spoken word in context with survival or for
the purpose of expressing ways to reduce risk knowing the extreme circumstances
people were accustom to enduring. Stories remain a powerful method of education
that brought meaning and context to the listener to help broaden and expand
perspective on many different levels. Elders among multi generational family
units often expressed stories, through repetition and emphasis about characters
and metaphors, their stories emphasized the many extraordinary unique elements
of a rich and vibrant culture. Storytelling remains a core aspect of expression
among indigenous societies and through this expression another example of
sharing is demonstrated.
How stories are expressed today is evident in a myriad of
forms, the opportunity exists for corporations to do a better job expressing how
they’re making a difference through practices such as corporate social
responsibility and what their doing to lighten the impact upon those in their
path.
Gordongroup has had the benefit of working directly with the
Crees of Eeyou Istchee for the last three decades. Our experience, learning and
time-shared together with our clients and friends has been a tremendous privilege that we are truly grateful for.
