When you look more closely, altruism is actually a fundamental reflection of the separation paradigm, the Us vs. Them mindset. Linguistically it’s literally about Other-ing—the word comes from the Latin root alter, “other.” Altruism also is a linear concept: it moves in one direction, from the Have to the Have Not, a one-way flow of resources. Altruism is the poster child for white saviors. The Native worldview shifts the focus from altruism to reciprocity. Reciprocity is based on our fundamental interconnection—there is no Other, no Us vs. Them, no Haves vs. Have Nots. Reciprocity is the
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