Our planet is in crisis. A perceived spiritual flaw in human nature, encouraged by bad cultural practices, has caused the suffering and deprivation of past centuries. This flaw is correctable. Humankind has the potential and ability to live in a just and harmonious manner. The Orenda Confederacy is formed to develop and promote an alternative social structure, created as a metacultural amalgam of human universals, which will enable its members to work toward realizing this potential way of life.
The Human Metacultural Universals are considered as universal because, however adapted or elaborated upon, all viable human societies have had their equivalents. These universals include general ethics, personal survival, protection of offspring, cooperation toward cultural refinement, respect for the environment, acknowledgment of Deities, and personal integrity.
The Orenda Confederacy is a framework upon which a new civilization can
grow from the old. This framework provides a structure within which intentional
communities, philosophically allied organizations, and appropriate technology
ventures can work toward an environmentally sound society and economic system.
By environment we mean much more than the usual "wildlife and Mother
Nature" concept.
True spirituality teaches us that the things of the spirit are not some
mysterious "other," but a part of all that is. Because of this, no
thing and no one can be treated as a mere "resource." Hatred, cruelty
toward fellow humans and other life forms, oppression, waste of the things of
life and livelihood, and stupid disrespect for the supposed "other"
are crimes not only against others but against our very selves. However it may
be expressed in specific times and places, this insight shall be the spiritual
foundation of the Orenda Confederacy.
Our habit of fierce competition between belief systems, rather than
discussion leading toward mutual enlightenment, is at the root of most
contemporary problems. This must be unlearned. We shall establish an atmosphere
wherein people of many backgrounds can labor together to build a basis for
abundant, peaceful, loving life. Basic principles of proper behavior, beginning
with non-coercion and non-derision, will be developed and enforced. Those who
refuse to adhere to basic metacultural ethics shall not be tolerated.
The problems here are well known, but such remedies as careful selection
of products and lifestyle, recycling, and energy use reduction are very
difficult for isolated individuals in the standard cultural context. We shall
develop a shared environment where love and concern for our world, not
thoughtless exploitation, will be practiced. We shall establish and encourage
the use of alternative and appropriate technologies wherever possible.
Our relationships to society at large, particularly our family
relationships and the education of our young to inherit the future, are of prime
importance. We shall move from a social system where my good must be at your
expense to one where we respect each other's good together to live in peace and
wholeness. Again, relationships based upon oppression, parasitism, aggression
and disrespect shall not be tolerated.
The United States was cooperatively founded by people from widely
differing backgrounds, who came together under the principles of consensus and
compromise for the common good. They were guided by a deep concern for Justice,
and an abiding humility. In recent decades these principles have been discarded
in favor of "winner-take-all" bullying tactics. We shall relearn how
to govern ourselves in a just, compassionate, humble and disciplined manner.
To support the industries of an economy based on interminable growth we
are induced to buy things we neither want nor need with money we do not have.
Our cultural heritage is reduced to tools for consumerist propaganda. We are
reduced to wage slaves and consumers, cogs in the machine. To "earn a
living" means "earning the right to live." We shall move away
from an economics based upon scarcity and competition to one based upon
abundance and cooperation.
We shall develop a system for cooperation which can be copied and adapted by others, who may then trade and communicate together with us toward the benefit of all. This will require the commitment of jacks-of-all-trades, of skilled craftsmen and workers, and of professional managers and "bridge builders." These pioneers must have the attitude of "All for one and one for all," for they are building for the long haul. The path will not always be smooth or easy, for there is genuine Foolishness, Deceit and Evil in the world. There are those who instinctively hate any people who value Culture, Literacy and high Spiritual Values. Many have failed in attempting such undertakings unprepared. But, in the words of John Kennedy, "God's work on Earth must truly be our own." In this spirit we shall labor.
Rule by consensus, rather than by decree or the "tyranny of the masses" shall be the ideal by which we work together.
While scarcity of some things is a reality, we place human values of help and mutual aid above those of greed and possessiveness. As is feasible, there will be common pools of money and goods for each Family, Band, and Nation. What is needed by all is owned by all. This is not against private property in principle, but acknowledges that the reasonable boundaries between private and common properties currently are badly defined in Western Society.
In the area of inter-Band or Village trade a tokened barter system is preferred. Bands will trade goods, materials, skills or services for some agreed-upon compensation, exchanging tokens of value where needed to keep track of value received.
Teaching of children is the responsibility of everyone. Education Chiefs, working with Education Societies and Committees will oversee the more specifically academic aspects; however, everyone in the community, within reason, is expected to take time to explain things to the children, to answer their questions and lead them toward growth and understanding.
Members who are skilled in some craft or trade will take on apprentices. These apprentices are expected not only to learn the craft or trade but to understand its relationship to other crafts and trades and to the Families, Bands, Nations, and Confederacy as a whole, as well as its moral and spiritual aspects.
The Orenda Confederacy encourages oratory and debate. Festivals of stories, rituals and plays shall be held at equinoxes, solstices, and other appropriate times. Oral readings from a variety of literature are encouraged. Discussion, even impassioned debate, rather than passive reception of other's ideas, is to be the norm.
The Orenda Confederacy encourages obedience to the "law of the land," but if a moral point is involved the Confederacy will support the member in the manner and to the extent determined by the Council which has jurisdiction.
The use of mood-altering substances will be tolerated only insofar as these substances do not harm the common good, do not jeopardize the Confederacy, or are a recognized part of religious practices. Families, Villages, or Bands may regulate these substances insofar as they effect the good of that group, but not with any undue harshness or restriction.
The Orenda Confederacy recognizes the validity of a variety of family and relationship types. However, because of current health threats and the demonstrated dangers of trivializing human relationships, promiscuity, the use of sexual relations without regard for honor, loyalty, or safety, is discouraged, and may be dealt with by the Council which has jurisdiction.
A Village or Band has the right to expel or refuse membership to a Family
whose form would be disruptive to that particular Village or Band. Such Families
may then form their own Villages or Bands and apply for Nation membership on
their own.
The Orenda Confederacy shall operate via three "structural circles," the Cultural Circle, the Physical Circle, and the Circle of Societies. Each Circle shall have an appropriate structure of Councils or equivalents, members of which may act in an advisory capacity to their Council equivalent in other Circles, or to higher-level Councils of their own Circle. Any adult member of the Orenda Confederacy may be a member of one or more Councils or equivalent bodies, pending qualification and selection by those of the proper constituency.
A Grand Council, composed of chosen representatives of all Circles and Allied Organizations, shall meet as necessary to discuss matters affecting all. These meetings need not be "assemblies of the whole," nor always face-to-face, but they shall be conducted in an appropriately open and non-secretive manner.
All members of Councils or their equivalent assemblies, other than the Allied Organization members of the Grand Council, must first be members of the Confederacy via Families, except in an advisory capacity and as deemed fit by the official members of that assembly.
The Cultural Circle involves the philosophical workings of the Confederacy; what we believe in, what are our aims, what are our standards, and how we relate to one another and the Creation.
The Family is the foundational unit of the Cultural Circle. Families may be traditionally monogamous, polyfidelitous, or of some other sort. However, the desired type must be formalized by the Family members, with appropriate written statements of intent, rituals and responsibilities.
A Group of Families which consider themselves to be related by virtue of common ancestry, interests, lifestyle, or other factors constitutes a Clan. A Clan may be geographically close, or dispersed, but their alliance and the reasons therefore shall be formally declared in writing.
A group of Clans who likewise consider themselves as allied shall constitute a Nation.
Levels of authority, responsibility, and commonality between these levels
must be clearly delineated as pertains to family structure, standards of
behavior, common goods and means of production, and religious cooperation and
tolerance.
The fundamental coordination and governance of the Orenda Confederacy shall be through the Cultural Circle Councils. The Councils will be responsible for determining membership qualifications in the Confederacy, standards for censuring or disciplining members, and for determining the formal philosophy and specific goals of the Confederacy. Councils will also serve as internal judicial courts for their constituent member sub-councils and individuals.
All adult members of a Family shall constitute that Family's Council. Each Family Council shall chose representatives for their Clan Council.
Each Clan Council will have a Clan Chief, selected by a consensus of all constituent Family Council Members. Clan Councils shall chose representatives to their National Council.
Each National Council will have a Nation Chief, to be chosen by the members of all constituent Clan Councils. Each National Council shall chose representatives to the Grand Council of the Confederacy.
The Grand Council of the Confederacy shall have a Grand Council Chief, to be chosen by members of the constituent National Councils.
Members of any Council may serve as non-voting advisory members of the higher Council of which they are constituents.
No matter shall be forwarded for consideration to an inappropriately high level; for instance, a Clan Council shall not be required to consider matters between two or more families unless the involved Family Councils cannot agree between themselves, or if the matter is of major importance to the Clan as a whole. This same principle shall apply between all Council levels.
The Physical Circle involves the practical operations of our lives together; who does what job and how things are accomplished. As such its function is administrative, to provide the means of carrying out the wishes expressed through the Cultural Circle.
Villages are physical living structures, thus cutting across Clans and Families. A Village is any group of people who live in close proximity, sharing resources, and declaring themselves to be a Village. The Village level is the lowest of the Physical Circle. An apartment building or similar structure should be considered as a Village.
Bands are associations of nearby Villages which share resources or culture, and formally declare themselves to be a Band.
Levels of authority, responsibility, and commonality between these levels shall be clearly delineated by the individual Villages and Bands as pertains to family structure, standards of behavior, common goods and means of production, and religious cooperation and tolerance.
The Physical Circle shall have equivalent assemblies to the Councils of the Cultural Circle, called Committees, organized according to the needs of Villages and Bands.
Each Village shall have a number of Work Committees, possibly including but not limited to Maintenance, Food, Security, Financial, and Education. The number and exact types of Work Committees will vary according to the Village's needs. The responsibility of each Work Committee is the day-to-day operation of and planning for a specific part of the Village's functioning. The Chief of each Work Committee shall be an adult man or woman of demonstrated knowledge or accomplishment in that Work Committee's area. Each Chief will be assisted by an appropriate number of Assistants. The Work Committee Chiefs shall act as representatives to the Village Committee.
The Village Committee shall coordinate the activities of the Village's Work Committees. The responsibility of the Village Committee is the overall functioning of the Village's physical existence. The Village Committee shall chose representatives to their Band Committee.
The Responsibility of the Band Committee is the coordination of the shared physical activities and practical interactions within a Band.
Inter-Band Committees which derive their responsibility from more than one Band may be formed either as needed or on a permanent basis, with organization parallel to that of National Councils.
The Work, Village, Band and Inter-Band Committees shall pay close heed to the wishes expressed by the individual members, Family Councils, Band and Inter-Band Councils with which they interact.
As with the Councils, members of any Committee shall be allowed to
participate as non-voting advisory members of the next higher level Committee of
which they are constituents.
A Society is an association of individuals from various Families, Nations, Villages or Bands, who practice a craft, art, religion, or other shared activity or skilled pursuit. These Societies exist to determine standards of practice and to promote education, fair dealing, and communication between Society members and with other Orenda members.
The education of people into the specific concerns of a Society is the responsibility of that Society. However, an independent Society of Teachers shall also exist. These Teachers are not to be construed as the only teachers nor the supreme determiners of education and training, but as coordinators and resource people for overall educational endeavors.
An Information Society will be responsible for communications within the Confederacy, for record keeping, and for the archiving of needed books and other materials.
Craft and Trade Societies shall confer Society membership at the levels
of Chief, Master, Journeymen, Apprentice, and Student, or their appropriate
equivalents. The requirements for these membership levels will be determined by
the Society in question.
Societies shall be organized in a manner appropriate to their reasons for existence and as determined by their constituent members. However, these organizations should be parallel to those of the Councils and Committees, and may not violate the basic principles of the Orenda Confederacy.
A member of a Family shall have membership in that Family's Clan and Nation, as well as in the Confederacy at large. All members of Societies, Villages, and their attendant groups, must first be a member of an accepted Family.
Outside Organizations, such as political or environmental groups, shall be allowed to become members of the Confederacy Grand Council, upon approval by the Grand Council, with the right to send representatives to the Grand Council. Such shall be known as Allied Organizations. However, the individual members of such organizations shall not therefore be members of the Confederacy unless they have become members of recognized Families and Clans.
Proposed types of Village membership are: Founder, Permanent Resident, Temporary Resident, and Associate (Non-Resident). These proposed types shall be adapted as needed to the actual needs of specific Villages.
A Village or Band may expel any individual or Family which becomes
disruptive or a hazard to that Village or Band. However, this action must be
preceded by proper discussion, hearings, warnings, and attempts at
reconciliation or restitution.
This Great Law of the Orenda Confederacy shall be amendable by consensus of members of all Nation Councils. Such amendments shall be proposed through the Great Council.
Nation Laws shall be amendable by consensus of all members of all constituent Clan Councils. Such amendments shall be proposed through the appropriate National Council.
Clan Laws shall be amendable by consensus of all members of all Constituent Family Councils. Such amendments shall be proposed through the appropriate National Council.
Family Laws and customs are the Family's business, unless they become a hazard or disturbance to the Clan, Nation, Village, or Band. In such case the Clan, coordinating with whatever bodies have a reasonable interest, may take appropriate action.
Any bylaw or regulation generated through, or emendation of, this Great Law shall be formed with the principle of flexibility. Any restrictive rules shall be made only to the minimal amount needed, with "grandfather clauses" to mandate reconsideration on a regular and timely b
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