Cordova Readings

(Ctools) V.F. Cordova, “What is the Role of a Human in the World?” and “The Four Directions,” in Moore et al, eds., How It Is: The Native American Philosophy of V.F. Cordova, 2007, pp. 183-192.

What is the Role of a Human in the World?

• Question incorporates a discussion about the ethical dimension of human interaction
• Christian-always put God first
• Western secular: “Right” behavior results from a contract between humans that is based on self-interest (scratch my back I’ll scratch yours)
• Native American: humans part of group and in order to maintain membership persons act ethically; the survival of the group is as important as the survival of the individual – need cooperative behavior

Princen comments

• Will talk about ethics later in course – ethics as individual behavior and as part of group; she draws out the people behave ethically so as not to be kicked out of the group
• Boundaries – every system has them; in people who do not recognize boundaries there is no intimacy between people and their homeland

The Four Directions

• Actually six directions considered sacred: NSEW up and down
• Sanctity of the Four Directions comes from a need for a sense of bounded space, establish a “home"
• Modern perspective has no sense of bounded space; this is a “free” planet – free for the taking, no responsibilities attached

Princen comments

• Boundaries – every system has them; in people who do not recognize boundaries there is no intimacy between people and their homeland