Butet

So yesterday we learned about a women from Indonesia, her nickname was Butet. The majority of her work has focused on working with the indigenous people of Indonesia. I found her story pretty interesting because to be honest I have never learned about this subject at all, and really know nothing about it. I know that these type of people still exist around the world, and logically big business would do everything they could to take their land, but to learn about a more specific area and tribe was pretty interesting.

As for the specific work she has done as well as her impact, I feel like I didn't get the whole picture, but it seemed as though she was making progress, especially with the children. I think this is very important because using children as a method to access another culture is something that has been done traditionally throughout history, at least when making peaceful contact, something which has not been done traditionally throughout history in my opinion. Hopefully through her work, she will be able to help preserve these tribes and cultures that are so important to Indonesian culture. That being said however, I honestly don't know where these people and cultures will fit in the future. The native Americans in the states have all but been assimilated into American culture, and (although I am not well informed) I doubt there are many tribes still in existence.

However losing touch with our past would be a fatal error for man. We must know where we came from, our origins and our roots, if we want to evolve not only as a civilization, but as a people. In a time when several parts of the world stand on the verge of war, I think it would be wise for those in power to stand back and look at the larger picture, look at the past, and what previous wars have done to the earth and to its people. There will always be something we can learn from the past.