> Bill Braun wrote:
>
> > I'm puzzled about this. On one hand I have a hightened sensitivity to
> > cultural respect. On the other, I cannot see how using a custom from
> > another culture raises the dilemma. Could you develop your thoughts a
> > bit more?
Bill Harris Replied:
> You (in this hypothetical scenario) felt revulsion as they secularized
> and
> profaned something that was very important to you, and you felt coerced
> into participation, because no one else in the room shared your beliefs
> or
> even understood the meaning and import of this act in your eyes and in
> your tradition.
>
> If the goal is to create an open and inclusive environment,
> appropriating such religious symbolism for corporate purposes seems very
> dangerous.
This is a correct assumption. People with strong emotional ties to a
particular belief system might feel not only uncomfortable but embarrassed
and insulted by such obvious displays. In this sense the spirituality of
the work place becomes very much a concern. However, the talking stick
was not only used as a instrument of religion and governance in the Native
American culture at the tribal level but also as a form of diplomatic
immunity among tribes. A runner from another tribe, if he was carrying a
talking stick, was safe to deliver his message. In the modern boardroom
the intended spirit of the talking stick is very much a needed
requirement. If it makes you or anyone else uncomfortable then substitute
a tennis ball or coffee mug or other non-threatening object. The original
spirit and function is still the same.
> "But there aren't any Native Americans in my session," some might say. I
> don't think that helps. Using a talking stick in sessions with no (are
> you sure?) Native Americans present seems analogous to telling an ethnic
> joke when no (again, are you sure?) people of that ethnicity are present.
As a Native American several generations removed, you are correct in the
assumption that you can not tell if a particular ethnic group is being
represented or not. You always have to be sensitive to the possibility of
insulting someone even unintentionally. On the flip side of that argument
though is the aspect of "political correctness" as an inhibitor of open
discussion. If you are afraid to say anything because of the possibility
you might inadvertently upset or alienate someone, you may as well NOT say
anything.
> Even if you make no one present feel uncomfortable, you reinforce the
> notion that this is acceptable behavior and increase the probability that
> someone who will have cause to be offended will end up in this situation
> in the future.
At the risk of upsetting some sensitivities .... "No harm ..No foul"
Bruce Jones
brucej@nwths.com
--"Bruce Jones" <brucej@nwths.com>
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