Wilderness Drum > Wilderness Writings > Peacemaking

Wilderness Peacemaking
Steve Beyer

Introduction
The Peacemaking Perspective
Sacred Gifts
The Role of Stress
Controlling Your Own Stress
Preventing Loss of Control
The Ways We Communicate
Nonthreatening Approach
The Stress Trajectory
Appropriate Responses
Signs of Distress
Verbal Aggression
Physical Attack
Collapse and Reintegration
Conclusion
References

Sacred Gifts

Consistent with this need, North American indigenous cultures recognize that individuals differ in their special gifts and abilities. As the handbook of the Swinomish Tribal Mental Health Project puts it, “People are born with special gifts. These form an aspect of individual destiny and should be carefully cultivated. Some people have the gift of clear public speaking. Some are able to heal the spirit through their personal power” (Swinomish Tribal Mental Health Project, 1991, pp. 149-150). People are not expected to excel in every area, but are instead valued for their unique ways of contributing to the group. Rupert Ross – for many years a Crown Attorney among the native peoples of Canada and an explorer into indigenous peacemaker justice – speaks of an Ojibway teaching that all children are born with four gifts. They might be good runners or good hockey players. They might be good listeners who can take burdens from other people. They might be able to make children feel comfortable and safe. Everyone is to be respected for their gifts. All the gifts are sacred (Ross, 1996, p. 54). Each individual brings something special to the group and is at the same time dependent upon others for those strengths, skills, and knowledge which he or she lacks (Swinomish Tribal Mental Health Project, 1991, p. 150).

The peacemaker way of dealing with disruptive or assaultive behavior in the wilderness thus focuses on healing the relationships within the group rather than on adjudicating fault. The goal is to ensure the safety of everyone involved in a crisis, to respect the gifts of everyone in the group, to make people stronger instead of weaker. The crisis intervenor – the peacemaker – needs to ask: Is this intervention moving towards harmony or towards disharmony? How can I best enhance balance and bring this out-of-control person – and this person’s gifts – back into the group?

< Previous Next >

Back to the top
Return to Writings Page