The cultural excuse

The film “Once Were Warriors”–a story about a troubled indigenous family–was not properly titled. The film should have instead been called, “Once We Were Warriors, Now We Are Losers.”

For what we see in this particular film is nothing but pathetic cultural depravity. We see lower class, proletariat vulgarity–a family desperately mired in severe social and economic dysfunction.

The Maori family depicted in the film (based on a true story) is beset by alcoholism, domestic spousal abuse, rampant violence, drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, sloth, poverty, child rape, sordid gang activity, suicide, and the like, all of which are actually of their own making. They are responsible for their severe cultural dysfunction.

Contrary to the underlying assumption of most liberals, the “onslaught of Westernization or Western colonialization upon indigenous cultures and peoples” is not to blame. You cannot blame the British, the French, the Dutch, or the Americans for the failures of their former colonial outposts. You cannot blame Hollywood or the Western mass media for crime and juvenile delinquency in Micronesia. You can’t blame the United States government for the problems of today’s native Americans.

White people (or “haoles,” as they are not so affectionately known among native Hawaiians) do not cause indigenous Pacific Islanders to commit acts of domestic violence against their wives. White people–Westerners–do not force indigenous peoples to turn to suicide. Whites do not force drug abuse or alcoholism upon American Indians, Micronesians, or other indigenous folks.

Many native, indigenous families cannot “cut it” because their past-oriented culture has utterly failed them. The culture itself is dysfunctional. It has failed to adapt to the requirements of the new situation–of the new economy and its economic realities.

Indigenous cultures, to be sure, had been destabilized by their encounters with the West–though this is hardly an excuse. A strong and worthwhile culture should eventually be able to adapt to new environmental exigencies and stimuli.

Yet, in many instances case, these indigenous cultures have not properly readjusted themselves to reach a kind of functional, healthy equilibrium. Many indigenous peoples have chosen the path of defeatist victimization instead of dynamic renewal and revitalization.

Such indigenous peoples should abandon their culture and embrace attitudes, values and beliefs that foster productivity, innovation, progress, stability, and prosperity. They should cultivate a new culture, if necessary. Above all, they should not be scapegoating others for their problems, which are for them alone to solve.

Self-reliance beats the vitimization mentality every time.

Strictly a personal view. Charles Reyes Jr. is a regular columnist of Saipan Tribune. Mr. Reyes may be reached at charlesraves@hotmail.com