Group Consciousness

Recently, the Alaska Federation of Natives held their annual convention in Anchorage. One of their major topics of discussion was suicide.

To understand the Native mind, particularly western Alaska Natives, you need to understand that they do everything as a group. This group consciousness is rooted in thousands of years of influence by Alaska's next door neighbor, Russia.

Together with group consciousness, the Native mind understands self-sacrifice for the well being of the group. When a village is not faring well, a villager will forgive his portion to the community by voluntarily taking his life. Depending on the strife in the community, others will follow suit, and take their lives as a group.

Remember, Alaska Natives share everything they have, their food, their drink, their culture. Westerners do not understand this trait. As a rule, if one succeeds, they all succeed, but if one fails, they all fail. This is in sharp contrast to the west's "survival of the fittest" doctrine.