“Who is the wealthiest person here?”
This is the question, Abraham Maslow, the researcher behind Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs asked those in the Blackfoot tribe in the 1930s. Maslow lived with this First Nations tribe for six weeks to see if his theory of self-actualisation worked beyond the white Western world.
Spoiler: It didn’t.
In the Blackfoot tribe, wealth was measured not by accumulation, but by generosity. The wealthiest person is the one who has given the most away. Maslow attended a Giveaway ceremony. In his rich essay on Maslow and the Blackfoot, Teju Ravilochan writes, “…for the Blackfoot, wealth was not measured by money and property but by generosity. The wealthiest man in their eyes is one who has almost nothing because he has given it all away. During the Giveaway, members of the tribe arranged their tipis in a circle and publicly piled up all they had collected over the last year. Those with the most possessions told stories of how they amassed them and then gave every last one away to those in greater need.”
In the Gospels, we see John the Baptist challenge the public to share clothing and food; tax collectors to only collect what is necessary; and soldiers to not misuse power to extort money and to be content with their salaries (Luke 3). Jesus Christ constantly challenged others to share, give and support one another. In fact, most world religions have unmistakable messages against hoarding, withholding good from those in need, and misuse of power.
The confronting cultural act Maslow encountered when testing his theory was to find that self-actualisation need not be a narrow slice at the top of a pyramid diagram. It was not necessarily the individualistic place you arrive at one day, like a credential you might achieve after completing your education. Instead, Maslow discovered something more akin to community-actualisation; a dynamic steeped in the belief that all are born credentialed. Again, Revilochan writes, “While Maslow saw self-actualization as something to earn, the Blackfoot see it as innate. Relating to people as inherently wise involves trusting them and granting them space to express who they are (as perhaps manifested by the permissiveness with which the Siksika raise their children) rather than making them the best they can be. For many First Nations, therefore, self-actualization is not achieved; it is drawn out of an inherently sacred being who is imbued with a spark of divinity. Education, prayer, rituals, ceremonies, individual experiences, and vision quests can help invite the expression of this sacred self into the world.”
The question of how much is enough, or too much, is nuanced by context, time and culture. Suffice to say that we either esteem others and consider them wealthy by their accumulation and investments, or by their generosity and divestment. Personally, I do struggle with seeing how one can hold billions or hundreds of millions of dollars in accounts and assets while professing to wholeheartedly follow Christ. Yes, these people have growing up to do, as do I (obviously). Lord, have mercy.
Thankfully, I’ve lived in this economy of generosity and reciprocity for a long time. It’s everywhere, if you are willing to look. It’s in sports clubs, workplaces, faith communities, education, healthcare – and most importantly – in homes.
As I echo in the chapter titled Decentering Consumption (in my latest book), the practice of eldering through divestment and generous living is positively formational in a way that no amount of consumption and accumulation could ever offer.
Love and Blessings
David
Pic 1 : Abraham Maslow at Siksika in 1938. Photo by Jane and Lucien Hanks.
Reference:
https://gatherfor.medium.com/maslow-got-it-wrong-ae45d6217a8c
Could the Blackfoot Wisdom that Inspired Maslow Guide Us Now?
By Teju Ravilochan
(contributing editors: Vidya Ravilochan and Colette Kessler)
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