First Peoples Day

October 12 is First Peoples Day, formerly known as Columbus Day. This day has been repurposed to honor the original inhabitants of this hemisphere rather than the Europeans who conquered their lands and carried out genocide against them. At a time of multiple crises our modern world has much that it can learn from these communal societies that lived in harmony with nature. Their continuing struggles today are discussed by Gustavo Esteva, a leading public intellectual in Mexico, and economist David Barkin, a professor at Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana- Unidad Xochimilco. They highlight some of the values and visions of a good life found in indigenous cultures that offer an alternative to the dominant values of Western culture.