CONSIDERING OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH ANIMALS - THE MESSAGE FROM ZUNI PUEBLO

The current reconsideration of the place in nature of human beings unf ortunately continues to be an acrimonious one. All too often the debat e is more akin to a warlike encounter where each side attempts to gain control or the upper hand than a search for points of agreement. Give n this context, it is important to entertain views that emanate from d ifferent cultural traditions as a way to infuse the debate with new li fe. Students of Native American culture have consistently pointed out that the essential concepts of life balance and reciprocity represente d there may serve as useful points of consideration as we struggle wit h the appropriate relationships with animals and nature. This article presents a representative Zuni story, told by Governor Robert E. Lewis , that illustrates these notions.