A New Tribe

The following thoughts by Joshua Kewish fit very well into the mind of a 'militant artisan.' It is about being authentic and standing in that truth. Many of us are recognizing a new way of conducting our lives...a new tribe is being formed.


According to wikipedia (a dubious source, but good enough to start) neotribalism is “…the ideology that human beings have evolved to live in tribal society, as opposed to mass society, and thus will naturally form social networks around such things as "brand" and corporate imagery "tribes."

Instead of brands and such, the new tribes are forming social networks not bound by the rules of the last 200. Our society lacks support, lacks answers, lacks humanity. The old paradigms of rampant consumerism, hyper-rigid religiosity, and fear as a tool to manipulate are no longer valid. In this environment, many of us question everything and seek new ways of being and people with whom to share this journey.

Perhaps the Great Recession has sped up the process, but I believe many of us were already moving toward neotribalism even if we hadn't consciously realized it yet. Do you long to simplify your life by removing all the crap collected over the last two or three decades? Realized that many of the expenses in your life are not essential after all? Cell phones, cable television, eating out all the time, that daily mocha, etc.

Simplifying is central to the new tribalism. De-cluttering our living environments is symbolic of shedding the consumerist lifestyle, a freeing of one's self from the trappings of a dying way of life. A new friend in my tribe recently said that everything we own actually owns us, that each object takes time and energy maintain, clean, pay for, or even just plain walk around. Neotribalists seek to minimize the clutter by evaluating everything in their lives and keeping only what truly makes life better.

This has led many of us to rethink how we live. Buying local produce and preparing our own meals is both cost effective and very social. Beyond the obvious budget and health benefits, it brings our circle of friends together to both prepare and share meals. Emails, texts, Facebook, Twitter, etc are no substitute for real human interaction in the new tribe. Simple, honest human to human contact is the goal. And if we look deeper, these activities do more for our quality of life by supporting our local economies and decoupling us from the drones still plugged into the vast machine.

The new tribes are a healthy alternative to the failed-mass-society-fear-mongering-group-thinkers. The new tribes are not competitive in the old world sense. They are about people connecting and helping each other to be their authentic selves.

As a final thought, this movement isn't about anarchy or overthrowing the government. It is about making a life that matters. It is about being authentic and helping others to do the same. Question everything and where you find truth, live it.

Peace.