In Communities
There are human ways of deep homecoming unknown to most Europeans.
Van Morrison expresses this longing in unsurpassed ways: watch his ‘Common One‘ (2010)
This longing for ‘Paradise Lost’ (Milton) is mirrored by numerous representatives of First Nations.
The North American, Oglala-Lakota, philosopher Vine Deloria wrote in 1972 a book ‘We Talk, You Listen’:
‘Tribal society is of such a nature that one must experience it from the inside. It is holistic, and logical analysis will only return you to your starting premise none the wiser for the trip. Being inside a tribal universe is so comfortable and reasonable that it acts like a narcotic. When you are forced outside the tribal context you become alienated, irritable, and lonely. In desperation you long to return to the tribe if only to preserve you sanity’ (1972, 13)
Vine Deloria also voiced for the first time Hollywood’s devastating influence of Native USA American collective identity. Hence they are not being able to come home anymore in public USA spaces.
See for students’ role-play of collective identity theft by Hollywood of Native USA Peoples click here