Cultural IQ

Cultural Shades Prompt Us to Focus on Different Things

 By Carey Goldberg / Boston Globe

East is East and West is West, and the difference between them is starting to turn up even on brain scanners.

 brain research is adding high-tech evidence to what lower-tech psychology experiments have found for years: Culture can affect not just language and custom, but how people experience the world at stunningly basic levels - what they see when they look at a city street, for example, or even how they perceive a simple line in a square.

Western culture, they have found, conditions people to think of themselves as highly independent entities. And when looking at scenes, Westerners tend to focus on central objects more than on their surroundings. In contrast, East Asian cultures stress interdependence. When Easterners take in a scene, they tend to focus more on the context as well as the object: the whole block, say, rather than the BMW parked in the foreground

Read the article Cultural Insights

Cultural differences alter brain's hard-wiring

New research finds that social perspective influences how we see the world

Lessons Learned From Somebody Else's Child

A friend used to ask his children every single night: What did you learn today? He was not looking for lessons learned in classrooms either. Rather, he demanded that his kids learn from all sorts of characters in their city and life.

 

Lifelong learners can have an "ah ha" moment while walking down the street; reading a newspaper, or listening to the chatter at the bus stop. That's because some truly terrific teachers have selected those venues to shine their lights.

 

 They are ordinary folk who share their mistakes, and air their grievances in ways that make us question our own positions. The best and brightest of them listen to us so we an unlock the answers inside our heart.

 

Now age 53, my teachers and coaches are frequently younger than I. It's a humbling experience. Still it keeps me on the ball and forces me to learn about youth culture and beliefs.

 

The New York Times has reported that many young people are taking Barack Obama’s middle name, Hussein, as their own:  Reporter Jodi Kantor found that many are informally adopting that name in an effort to do away with the unfortunate stigma that has been stamped upon it by biases gone wild.

 

“The result is a group of unlikely-sounding Husseins: Jewish and Catholic, Hispanic and Asian and Italian-American, from Jaime Hussein Alvarez of Washington, D.C., to Kelly Hussein Crowley of Norman, Okla., to Sarah Beth Hussein Frumkin of Chicago,” Ms. Kantor reported.

There is a sweet and yet bold logic to this youthful strategy. If you and I unite as one, no one can pull us apart.

In the past, our community has tended to address racism and bigotry by asking victims or targets to blend in and conform. It’s known as the melting pot theory. Stop wearing headscarves. Stop wearing natural hair. Stop using your Spanish. Stop “acting black.” Stop calling yourself African American. Here’s the pact: Be more like me, and it will be easier for me to accept you. That’s the deal. I’ll admit it is a good one if you don’t happen to be the one who is asked to give up your values, style, fashion or language.

Recently, some cultural communities have rediscovered what the Jewish people have known all along: Culture is a shelter that can keep us together when we are under attack.  It is not something that should be dismantled easily, as it provides sanctuary during life's storms.

Young people in Obama’s campaign have reversed that policy now, and shifted gears: If I'm more like you, then, perhaps, they’ll accept us. In other words, it’s OK to be yourself around me. Maybe I'll change sometimes. And you'll change sometimes..

To these young people: Bravo! Brava! Thanks for the lesson. .

 

 

Test Your Knowledge of African Americans

 

 

(June 27, 2008) According to one of the largest-ever studies of Black America, 70 percent of African Americans already have a plan for their future. The survey was released today by Radio One, Inc., the study's sponsor, and Yankelovich, the Chapel Hill-based research firm.

The survey of 3,400 African Americans between 13 and 74 years of age, the only study to include Black teens and seniors, found also that 54 percent were optimistic about their future and 60 percent believe "things are getting better for me."

The study provides the most detailed snap shot of African American life in the United States today, and finds strong group identity across age and income brackets. It also discloses a comprehensive and nuanced look at how African Americans feel about many aspects of life in America, and cautions against a simplistic reading of Black America as a monolithic group. In fact, it shows that Blacks are divided evenly on how they liked to be described, with 42 percent (who are more likely to be affluent) preferring to be called "Black" and 44 percent preferring "African American."

The survey, representing nearly 30 million Black Americans, identified eleven specific segments within Black America today, ranging from Connected Black Teens, Digital Networkers and Black Onliners at the younger end, to Faith Fulfills, Broadcast Blacks and Boomer Blacks at the older end.

The segmentation analysis identifies differences in Black America regarding everything from what it means to be Black today, perceptions about African American history and expectations for the future of Blacks, to consumer trends, media preferences and confidence in key institutions (such as the church, government, financial services companies and the media).

For instance, among the Connected Black Teens segment, 25 percent are saving to start a business. Yet, among Digital Networkers, the majority of whom are in their 20s, 45 percent are already saving for retirement.

"While people are less inclined these days to think that all Blacks are the same, they really do not understand the diversity within the African American community," Catherine Hughes, Founder and Chairperson of the Board, said. "Blacks share many commonalities regardless of age, income and geography, but there are also differences -- that suggest a new understanding of the past and a more optimistic sense of the future. We're confident that Black Americans -- and all Americans -- will find the results of the survey useful and in some cases surprising, given perceptions about Black life that are still pervasive in our country."

Alfred C. Liggins, CEO and President, explained that Radio One commissioned Yankelovich to conduct the study to learn more about what Black Americans are thinking today about all aspects of their lives, including their hopes for the future, their fears, the institutions they love and hate, how they get information, whether they are plugged into the Internet, and what they want for themselves and their children.

"We wanted to know in detail who we are, what we want and where we are going," Mr. Liggins said.

What is Black America today? The average household of those surveyed has three people in it, half of whom live in a single family home, one-third in apartments, one-third in the suburbs and half in cities. Among 29 to 74 year-olds, one-third are married. 61 percent of Black Americans are parents, five percent of 13 to 17 year-olds are parents, and half of all parents are single parents.

From an educational and economic standpoint, 34 percent of those surveyed who are 18 or older have some college or a two-year degree, 21 percent have a BA or higher, 40 percent have an annual income under $25,000 (20 percent of whom are retired), and one-third more than $50,000.

The digital divide has faded. 68 percent of those surveyed are online (compared to 71 percent of all Americans), and two-thirds of them shop online. Among Black teens, over 90 percent are online. Blacks who live in the south are least likely to be online (63 percent).

Black identity remains strong across all age and economic groups. While 56 percent of those surveyed have "all" or "almost" all Black friends, only 30 percent said they prefer being around people of the same race. Black solidarity too is strong across all groups, with 88 percent saying they have enormous respect for the opinions of their elders (84 percent among teens). While 71 percent overall said they believe Blacks need to stick together to achieve gains for their community, only 54 percent of teens concurred.

Discrimination remains a very real part of Black life in America. While 24 percent said they had been personally discriminated against in the past three months, 82 percent said they believe it is "important for parents to prepare their children for prejudice." 67 percent overall said they believe the history of slavery is a key way in which Blacks are different from other groups, but one-third also say that too much emphasis is put on the oppression of Blacks.

While 72 percent of Blacks say they know how to have fun and 60 percent think things are getting better for them, many often feel stressed (33 percent). Money is the greatest cause of stress (53 percent) followed by the well being of kids (49 percent) and health (40 percent). While only 3 in 10 feel financially secure, 8 in 10 pay their bills each month.

Among other findings in the report:

-- 83 percent of those surveyed have health insurance, a majority (66 percent of women and 52 percent of men) has family doctors, and 40 percent of Blacks who go online search the internet for health and medical information.

-- 83 percent of those surveyed describe themselves as Christian, though only 41 percent go to church at least once a week. 70 percent of women and 59 percent of men believe that faith in God is more likely to help them recover from a serious illness.

-- 72 percent want to learn more about how to invest. 50 percent believe banks and other financial institutions do not understand their needs; and only 8 percent trust credit card companies.

-- 21 percent shop for fun frequently and 19 percent said they have to have what they like even if it costs more than they would like to spend.

-- Blacks are wary of many American institutions. They have the highest level of trust in the education system and Black media to treat them and their families fairly (30 percent) compared to 24 percent for the healthcare system, 12 to 16 percent for police, government, and mainstream media and 8 percent for credit card companies.

-- Other media highlights include: 84 percent of households have cable, 81 percent of those surveyed watch Black TV channels weekly, 87 percent listen to radio in a typical week (only 16 percent listen to Satellite radio), 64 percent watch news or news magazines and 50 percent watch Court shows (compared to 41 percent for sports and 46 percent for entertainment)

-- Blacks are not satisfied with how they are portrayed by the media. Only 29 percent agree that the mainstream media portrays Blacks in a positive light -- compared to 50 percent who do not relate to the way Blacks are portrayed on most Black TV shows. Two-thirds believe there should be more television shows that focus on Blacks. Forty percent think Black TV is reinforcing a negative stereotype of Blacks.

For more information about the Black America Today study, please visit http://www.blackamericastudy.com.

Is a Child of A Racist Always Racist?

This weekend, the Washington Post ran an article on Danielle Allen,  an MacArthur genius grant winner at age 29,  who has taken it upon herself to track down the source of the Internet rumor that Barack Obama was Muslim.  She traced it back to one of his early political opponents, Andy Martin.Martin, an Internet newspaper publisher who sends e-mails to his mailing list almost daily,began questioning Obama's religious background after hearing his famous keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.    "I feel sad having to expose Barack Obama," Martin wrote in an accompanying press release, "but the man is a complete fraud. The truth is going to surprise, and disappoint, and outrage many people who were drawn to him. He has lied to the American people, and he has sought to misrepresent his own heritage."

Martin reasons that a child of a Muslim is, in fact, a Muslim by birth. Therefore, Sen. Obama, he believes,  is Muslim and he should say so.

 OK, first let me state clearly that there is nothing wrong with being Muslim. Many people have biases that are triggered by mere mention of this religion. Those biases are hurtful and harmful to our society, for they hinder our ability to be our better selves. So let's stop blaming Muslims for being Muslim, and start attacking religious biases (among all faiths) It is time well spent.

Second, as American citizens, we have the right to decide who we are. African Americans gained that  right only after bloodshed,landmark legislation and court rulings during the civil rights movement.  We are overstepping our bounds if we boldly demand that others mold their ancestry or heritage in a way that is to our liking. This practice keeps the past in the present and the future. If any of John McCain's ancestors were racist, for instance, Martin  would say that Sen. McCain is, by birth, a racist. Which of us thinks that is a fair argument to make?

My point is simple: Use the same size tools to size up the worth of all peoples, religions, and cultural groups. When we save the larger and wider yardsticks to measure the other racial, ethnic or religious groups, they are bound to come up short. By default, we come out ahead. 

While it makes us feel good, it undermines our community. One day we will awaken to find we have lost the ability to find the truth hidden among the pack of lies. 

It will be tough to make the right decisions then. And that makes us vulnerable.

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'We each create our world by what we choose to notice, creating a world of distinction that makes sense to us. We then 'see' the world through the self we have created.'

Margaret Wheatley and Kellner Rogers

 

 

Healthcare Industry: Can We Improve Outcomes By Understanding Our Patients Better?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit:  Freefoto.com

 

 

Scores of healthcare providers gathered at the M.C. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston this week to participate in a difficult diagnosis: Why does a patient’s culture affect treatment and whether, ultimately, the patient gets better or worse?

Their frank and, at times, painful dialog was designed to improve treatment in minority populations by identifying new policies and practices that target racial disparities.Just a few weeks before the 6^th Annual Disparities in Health in America Workshop began, a new research study documented that “minority patients” treated for diabetes had worse outcomes than white patients treated by the same doctor. The study by Dr. Thomas D. Sequist, an assistant professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, highlighted the need for health professionals to understand a patient’s culture and beliefs.

Sequist said he doesn’t believe that doctors engaged in conscious discrimination. In an interview with the New York Times, he said the problem is that doctors tend to treat all patients the same, and fail to take cultural differences into account.

Some of the potential variables: Do drugs have various success rates among cultural groups? Is lifestyle counseling provided by culturally competent professionals? Does the patient harbor a deep distrust for the healthcare profession?

Inquiring minds need to know

The man behind the conference is an African American researcher who blended his passion for scientific data and social justice into a remarkable career. Dr. Lovell Allan Jones currently is the director of the congressionally mandated Center for Research on Minority Health at MD Anderson.  He also is founding co-chair of the Intercultural Cancer Council, the nation’s largest multicultural health policy group focuses on minorities, the medically underserved, and cancer.

“The goal of the conference is to present the complexity of health disparities” he said.  "That it is not just an issue of access.”

Even when minorities have the same level of education, and same type of insurance, disparities still may exist. But why?

The conference, which runs fro June 21 to 27 at M.D. Anderson's Robert C Hickey Auditorium,  includes an impressive array of thoughtful speakers, researchers, and topics including: How health insurance perpetuates health disparities, community models to eliminate health disparities, social justice, and improving patient outcomes.

Lessons shared and learned

Lesson One: Networking is the way to grow

MD Anderson is widely considered one of the nation’s best cancer centers. Though located in a diverse city, the vast majority of its patients are white, which makes it more difficult to provide students with multicultural environment they need to be effective healthcare providers. Anderson solved the dilemma by reaching out to a long list of collaborative partners, including the Harris County Hospital District, where serves large numbers of minority patients. Dr. Vincente Valero said the partnership allows Anderson to include diverse patient populations in its cancer research studies and it gives indigent patients access to the latest cancer treatments.

Lesson Two: Insurance matters

The uninsured rate for African Americans increased to 20.5 in 2006, from 19 percent in 2005.  The rate of uninsured Hispanics increased to 34.1 percent, up from 32.3 percent. During the same period, the insured rate for non-Hispanic whites remained unchanged at 10.8 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Speaker Rebecca Lunstroth, an instructor in family medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston, said society must decide some basic ethical issues including: Is healthcare a right or a privilege? Another thorny issue: How much power or control should patients have over their treatment?

Lesson Three: Checking bias at the office door

Even with mounds of research on health disparities, it is hard to document to what extent bias or racism factors into racial disparities. Some speakers suggested that racism plays a significant role in disparate treatments while others disagreed.  People of color can take steps to counteract bias by taking time to learn about new treatments and medicines on the market. Good communication between patient and physician helps. (Remember, patients have biases too.) It is also important to take time to learn about your disease. Many churches, health centers and schools provide free health education workshops or classes.

A Special Affirmative Action Policy for Conservatives?

At the same time the U.S. Justice Department was in court opposing the affirmative action policy at the University of Michigan, it was putting together a hiring program that gave conservatives preferential treatment.

A new report says those practices were illegal, and the Justice Department’s inspector general,says that is only the  first in what will be a series of investigations growing out of last year’s scandal over the firings of nine United States attorneys, The New York Times has reported.  Now there is evidence to back up critics' contention that the Justice Department had become overly politicized during the current administration.

As it turns out, Justice Department officials felt the need to correct a liberal bias in this department.  Diversity of thought is a wonderful and worthy objective. I sincerely applaud that goal.  Though we must note that was precisely the point leaders at more than 30 corporations made in their brief supporting the University of Michigan's affirmative action plans. 

''The nation's future depends upon leaders trained through wide exposure to the ideas and mores of a diverse student body,'' they said in a joint statement.

DOJ got into trouble - not for recruiting conservatives -  but rather because it appears to have made decisions solely on the basis of political ideology.  That's where they went wrong. 

Independent reports like these help restore faith that the system of justice, though imperfect, tries to be fair. In a democracy, it's hard to hide truth because so many detectives with flashlights are walking around in the dark corners. That's the good news.

Here's the scary part.   

 A couple of years ago, while writing a column called The Cultural Coach, I received an email from an attorney working in the Houston office of the US Attorney..During our communication, the attorney wrote, among other things, that affirmative action helped lazy African Americans and incompetent leaders get jobs they didn't deserve. I told the attorney that it was unsettling to have such racially charged emails come from a DOJ attorney - the very folk who were supposed to be out there protecting my community's civil rights.  I asked him to stop emailing me from his work computer, He continued to send me emails from the DOJ address, even after I asked him to stop. I viewed this as an act of intimidation.

I contacted the U.S. Justice Department in Washington to say so. They took my number but nobody there ever called me back. I contacted the Houston office, and a supervisor said officials had read the emails and talked to the employee. By the way, they wanted me to know it was not a violation of departmental rules to use DOJ computers for personal activities such as emailing journalists.  I wondered if  pro-choice emails had been sent to journalists from that computer, would DOJ been as understanding?

The moral of this diversity fable is simple: A diverse workforce enriches us all.  Workplaces need to have conservatives and value their views.  We need diversity of thought in the DOJ, even within the civil rights division. Somebody had a good idea but didn't know how to make it work, legally or ethically..(This is scary considering we are talking about the U.S. Department of Justice.)

True diversity means we embrace inclusiveness, not conformity. Liberals, as well as conservatives, often have difficulty with this. We all need a lot more practice. 

The Odessa Barbecue Flap: Where's the Beef?

This morning, I called upon my great ancestors to find out what they think of the Odessa, TX barbecue flap.

 The Associated Press reported " that leaders of the Black Cultural Council  say volunteers and  the black community felt "humiliated" after two health department food inspectors threatened to put a stop to a Juneteenth celebration over questions about food preparation for 600 free barbecue sandwiches."

My ancestors were not very happy when I shared this report in the weekly conference to seek their counsel and draw upon their eternal wisdom.

 I could hear my late grandmother, Marie, whose mother was born a slave,  saying: "Let's see, Linda. Children are dying. People are losing their homes. Schools are under-funded. And the community is complaining about  barbecue sandwiches?"

Diversity and inclusion require two things of us: First, that we understand other cultures and their views, and secondly, that we  willingly account for our actions. 

Cultural collisions often occur  because we fail to complete one or both of these tasks. That is what happened here.

The Black Cultural Council seems far too willing to overlook the fact it apparently violated state law by distributing food in public  that was prepared and cooked at an individual's house. And the health inspector needs to show us he treated this group like any other. We need to know that he has shut down countless other community events and church picnics by showing up  at the last minute, and taking away their food.

Not long ago, I chaired the social activity committee at my condo association. Our condo attorney wouldn't let the owners hold a potluck supper, where residents make and bring a favorite dish. He made us contract with a licensed and bonded food provider - which raised our costs tremendously.

The upside is it  protected us from nasty lawsuits. With all these food scares out there  - a little extra insurance is not a bad policy. One tainted sandwich could shut the Council down, which would have been a loss for the community it serves.

The County health inspector needs to account for his actions. Did he just happen to be passing by the site - and see people unloading  trays from cars? How did he know to show up here? Did he or someone else  target this group? Has he interrupted events held by white groups as well (church groups on picnics, neighborhood jams, etc? If not, why not?  One would expect he would be equally vigilant.

What's needed is a frank conversation about our duty as citizens, and a honest talk where people can freely admit to the mistakes made.

That's the type of conversation that would have made the Odessa Juneteenth 2008 celebration an affair we'd all remember.

It could have been the date the city broke free from its divisions, and finally found common  ground .

 

A Good American Citizen? A Person Who Thanks Others for Taking Time to Disagree

Once in awhile, an email arrives from someone who will disagrees with me and then verbally attack in hopes of getting me to change my mind.

 I usually thank them for sharing their world view. 'It is illuminating" I say politely.

There is a critical conversation America has yet to have with itself. And with the ongoing dissension over the war with Iraq and now, the presidential election, it appears that now is the perfect time.

Definitions of what qualifies as national loyalty have always shifted as American society has diversified and matured. A person who is viewed by many as a troublemaker, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., just might end up an honored US hero.

So what defines a patriot, exactly? Is it a person who supports the government through right and wrong in a war or a crisis, or the person who disagrees loudly and engages in lawful protest? Are those who push us all to conform and unite as one country the folks who most love this nation, or is it those who embrace differences and challenge fellow citizens' assumptions in order to reorder society and find hidden flaws?

There is no national handbook - at least not yet - that details how to be a good American. Some would prefer a manual filled with "dos" and "don'ts" to point to and say, "I'm the real deal and you are the pretender."

So it seems for the moment, each person is left to follow his or her own set of personal rules regarding patriotism, even though those lists are bound to disagree. The first few rules on my own list are simple:

1. Vote in every federal, state, and local election even when you can't find one candidate you like.

2. Learn the names of elected officials, and e-mail them periodically to offer insight. (Most of mine are white, and I am African-American.)

3. Attend community or council meetings and stay abreast of public policy and key issues by reading newspapers, listening to the radio, or watching the evening TV news.

4. Model the behavior you want to see in others: Put democratic principles into practice by challenging bias and discrimination in everyday life.

The next rules, which came with wisdom and experience, require a bit more effort and resolve:

5. Respect the rights of other Americans to disagree with you.

6. Accept that your point of view is not the only legitimate perspective.

7. Tolerate dissent.

8. Attack the message, not the messenger.

9. Stand up against hate because it is an infectious strain of terrorism.

As I watch American commentators condemn fellow citizens for expressing contrary views, it saddens me. Some people see conformity and unity as building blocks of strength, but I tend to view them as indicators that fear or intimidation is stifling helpful dissent. I am like the CEO who prefers to identify the drawbacks before launching a new product, rather than wait until after it hits the stores. Our Founding Fathers decided to create a republic instead of a democracy because many feared the majority would not, could not, rule without eventually becoming oppressive and unfair.

Wisely, they opted for a republic, once described by John Adams as "an empire of laws, not of men." Therefore, the protection of the laws that safeguard liberty and free expression is more critical to us than any national consensus ever will be.

The law protects free speech, and those who seek to silence protesters in the name of patriotism might remember these words that Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1815:

"Difference of opinion leads to enquiry, and enquiry to truth; and that, I am sure, is the ultimate and sincere object of us both. We both value too much the freedom of opinion sanctioned by our Constitution, not to cherish its exercise even where in opposition to ourselves."

 Next time you find yourself in a disagreement, cherish your opposition. Honor their right to oppose you. Acknowledge their truth.

Don't do it for them; do it because you want this nation  to be strong and its people to be free .

Move Toward the Light, and Show the Way

It is indeed unfortunate that Sen. Obama's campaign volunteers asked that two Muslim women wearing head coverings or hijabis not sit behind the Senator during a speech. While this policy might protect him from discrimination, it does nothing to stop the curernts of hatred and bias sweeping up Muslim Americans.

If we only stand up against prejudice when it doesn't cost us anything, we can't really say we are on tolerance's team.The women who wear head scarves are not the problem, though we often put the responsibility on their shoulders. ("If  they changed, this wouldn't be happening to them," the popular thinking goes Therefore, it is THEIR fault..)

 The problem is that some Americans do not yet have the appropriate cultural tools and global insights to understand the customs and thinking of other cultures, religions, and peoples.

Rather than develop hurtful policies that protect us as individuals from society's biases (as the Obama volunteers did) we must  broaden our educational system so it prepares us to live and work as global citizens.

We can't allow people with biases or prejudices to hold America back. Let's invest less time protecting ourself - and more time eliminating misinformation and hateful rumors..

:  Move  toward the light with out the resistors, and then embrace them with open arms when they are ready to catch up with the rest of the group.

Center for Healing of Racism Honors Phil Lane for Efforts to Heal Past Hurts, and Move a Proud People Forward

Houston, TX - The Board of Directors of the Center for Healing of Racism will present its annual Ally Award June 21 to Phil Lane Jr., a man who sought to discover and release his own shame and hurts, and lead others to do the same.

The sizzling Texas-style Juneteenth barbecue begins at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cullen Oaks Community Center at 4600 Cullen Blvd. in Houston. Tickets are $35, and include the Juneteenth lunch and the Ally award program. Tickets are available at the door but RSVPs are requested at 713-520-8226.

Participants at the Center’s Dialogue on Racism view one of Lane’s films, Healing the Hurts. The documentary that chronicles efforts to help indigenous adults who were ripped from their families as part of a government-approved initiative to eliminate their culture.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper earlier this month delivered an apology to the tens of thousands of children sent to live in boarding schools, where many were abused as part of official government policy to "kill the Indian in the child.’ Harper said, “The government of Canada sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the aboriginal peoples of this country for failing them so profoundly. We are sorry."

 Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate to issue an apology to indigenous peoples in the U.S. for mistreatment by the government. Cherry Steinwender, co-director of the Center, which heals hurts rooted in racism said: “The 2008 Ally Award will be given to Chief Phil Lane for his leadership role in aiding Native-Americans heal the hurts and shame of Internalized Oppression, due to the resident schools in Canada and North America.”

 Phil Lane Jr., a member of the Yankton Dakota and Chickasaw tribes, is an internationally recognized leader in human and community development and is a traditionally recognized hereditary Chief. Since 1968, he has been working with Indigenous people in North, Central and South America, Micronesia, Thailand, India, Hawaii and Africa.