Inclusive Circles. Singular Wisdom.
The Crisis For 30 years, we have inquired alongside Indigenous peoples—from Native nations in the U.S. and Mexico to Mayan communities in Guatemala and tribal democracies in South Africa. They possess singular, profound wisdom, particularly in their inclusive circle gatherings for dialogue and decision-making. Yet they remain victims of deep racism and marginalization. The rest of the world has an immense amount to learn from these Indigenous ways, but the mainstream remains completely cut off from them.
The Mission We are melding our Socrates Cafe method with their singular wisdom ways. Our goal is to bring these blended forms of inquiry to everyday people who would otherwise have nothing to do with Indigenous communities, allowing them to learn directly from this wisdom. Simultaneously, we are ensuring Indigenous youth have the resources to continue their own deep explorations entirely on their own terms.
The Method We operate through a direct, practical exchange of philosophy:
- Blended Gatherings: We merge our grassroots framework with their inclusive circle practices. This creates a model for dialogue and Socratic-type exploration (though they would never use that term) that the rest of the world can adopt and learn from.
- Philosophy in Their Own Languages: You cannot separate a people’s philosophy from their words. We translate our children’s book, Day of Why, into several Mayan languages—paying for it out of our own threadbare pockets—simply so Indigenous children and youth can philosophize in their own languages.
Amplify the Wisdom. We need partners to help us fund these translations and expand these blended circle gatherings, ensuring this wisdom isn’t just preserved, but actively challenges and changes the rest of us.