I let Zach use my pickup to get some firewood. Sky set up a little table for hot chocolate and marshmallows at the fire pit.
About 20 people showed up to my telescope lesson. A little too many for one telescope, but the campfire provided a good social atmosphere. Everyone was impressed with the views. I was giving a little lecture for each object I put into the view. I may have sounded knowledgeable, but most of this knowledge had come to me just a few days ago.
Rochelle started off a profound discussion, "When we look into the telescope, we are actually seeing the past."
"Why is that?" asked Kayel, a high school student and a TDG member.
Rochelle said, "These stars are so far away that it takes hundreds and thousands of years to reach our eyes."
I added, "So what we are seeing is the star as it was from a long time ago. Today it might be in a different place—or in a different stage of the star's life."
Rochelle continued, "Astronomers are actually analyzing the past to predict the future of our universe."
I couldn't resist: "Same thing for Native Americans. We have to look forward to the past because that is all we can see."
Rochelle was confused, "Forward to the past? But what about the future?"
I said, "The future is behind us. We don't have eyes at the back of our heads to see it."
Rochelle said, "So if we can't envision the future, how can we plan for it?"
"By looking forward to the past."
Rochelle asked: "Come again?"
"The past is where we can clearly see things. The past is in front of our eyes. So we look forward to the past, right?"
"OK . . . I think."
"So the future is where our eyes cannot see. It is behind us. If we could see it, we would always know what it would look like, right?"
"So what about the future? How do we control it?"
"Control? How do we control something we cannot see?"
"We control by envisioning an outcome, then working towards that outcome, right?"
"But are we really in control? If everyone could control the future in that way, then the future would unfold to everyone's desires."
"That makes sense!"
"Does it really? Human desires often conflict with each other."
"OK, maybe the future then belongs to the strongest of us, you know, the ones who can really plan and execute well."
"So how are they doing? So how is their future looking? Especially for the rest of us?
"Well . . . ."
I continued with this thread: "Some may believe they are in control, but I think they fall short of their goals most of the time. . . . How about you? When you started your teacher's training at university, was your future to become principal of the Tankosin Nation School 20 years later?"
"Not really. My career path took some interesting directions between then and now. Things seemed to unfold to bring me here."
"So if you couldn't control your future back then, are you in control of your future now? Do you know where you will be 20 years from now?
"Not really."
"So why do we continue to believe that we can control the future?
"OK, I need to digest this forward/behind thing some more. But are you saying it is pointless to consider the future?"
"No. What I'm saying is that we need to take a more realistic approach to the future."
"Like?"
"Like we can't control it, no matter how much we may believe we do control it. Only the future controls the future."
"So then, how do we . . . handle . . . the future?"
By making our best guess for the future and applying that guess. Then we build a new past."
"Whoa! A new past? Eli, this discussion is getting weirder."
"It's only weird if you think the future is in front of us. But it is actually behind us. When we take an attempt at the future, we are trying to change it—as best as we know how—even though we can't see it. But with this change, we create a new past, which was not there before. Then, by looking forward, we compare the old past to the new past. Did we make progress?"
"And if we didn't?"
"Then we try to figure out what went wrong and try something different."
"Aren't we already doing that?"
"Maybe. But this American society seems to honor those people who believed they saw the future and worked for it."
"Shouldn't we honor these people?"
"Nothing wrong with that. We should acknowledge their vision and drive. But we should also acknowledge that the future is often fickle. An event or two out of their control could hinder or enhance their plans. For those who were on the wrong side of that fickleness, should we just cast them aside as losers?"
"No. But what are you saying?"
"I'm saying we need to take a more humble approach to managing the future. None of us are gods who can control it or even know it. At best, we can only make our best guess—at something that is actually behind us."
"And it as only by looking at our past that we can plan for the future?"
"You got it. Not bad for a white person."
I'm pretty sure Rochelle wasn't fully understanding what I was saying. Maybe I wasn't either. But it was a fun dialogue.
∞
Brian Turning Robe changed the direction. He was talking to me in Tankosin: "With this TDG, Eli, you guys won't let us middle-aged people join. Why?"
I replied, "Because our past says that our culture will not consider the perspectives of our young people."
"But if the TDG is to eventually govern the Nation, having just young people is not going to work."
"You are right. . . . This year we raised the age from 30 to 35. We got some new members in that age range. We're going to have an election soon. We shall soon see what this new past will bring us."
"What're you hoping for?" asked Brian.
"We're hoping that the older people don't dominate our group."
"So you don't want them that bad?"
"No. It should be OK if one or two are elected to our executive committee. But if they take over the TDG executive committee, that will be a backwards step. In my opinion."
"Why?"
First, they may be older. But they have little experience in the TDG. If one or two are elected, we can train them in this new way."
"There's a new way?"
"Yeah, but it's kind of hard to describe. When they sit with us for six months or so, they should see a better way to make decisions as a group."
"So you guys are changing our thinking?"
"You could say that. But probably just a little."
"So what's the future?Is the TDG for all Tankosin?"
"That's what I would like to see. We just have to make sure the younger people are part of the process. But maybe there is another future that we cannot yet see."
"I'm 52. The way you guys are going, it might be another five years before I'm allowed to join. But even though I can't be a member, I think you younger people are on a good path for our future."
"I sure hope you are right. But only the future controls the future."
For some reason, this last sentence sounded more natural in Tankosin than it did in English.
∞
Rochelle had picked up enough of our language to somewhat follow Brian's and my discussion. We went back to English.
She asked, "Eli, it seems that the TDG is all about the future. Where does the past fit?"
"In Chapter 2 of the TDG book, the author gives us 12 limitations of western democracy. He is looking forward to the past to point out democracy's flaws."
"OK. . ."
"Then he starts with a new system in Chapter 3. Later in the chapter, he brings back the 12 limitations and explains how the new system has resolved each of those flaws."
"Does the author give a vision for the future?"
"Yes and no! He believes that he has given us some foundation stones for a new house. But it is up to the rest of us to put those stones and the rest of the house together. He claims that neither he nor the early builders can see what the house will look like. The TDG's future is behind us."
"Forward! Behind! This is going to take some getting used to.!
I think I'm going to do these telescope nights once a month. Looking at stars helps people see in circles.
