Traditional societies have maintained a way of life that values community ties and ecological balance over material abundance. Through the examples of the Kung people, Sahol, Kwakwaitl Indians, and the Maring people, we explore the adaptive systems that each culture has developed to fit their environment and the lessons these values can teach us for modern society.
We assume that all human societies throughout history have pursued the value of material abundance. Because basic human needs and the essential conditions for survival depend on material resources, it is assumed that most societies value them. However, this common sense does not apply to the Kung people, a hunter-gatherer people of the Kalahari Desert who value communal bonds and peacefulness. Once they’ve satisfied their minimal appetite, they seek to maintain spiritual enjoyment and harmonious social relations through various games and rituals. Their attitudes derive from the experiential wisdom of the savanna ecosystem.
The Kung way of life focuses on living within the rhythms of nature, with ecological stability as a priority: they allocate labor based on the ecological cycles of the dry and wet seasons, the migration routes of prey, and their knowledge of edible plants. This knowledge is passed down through generations and is not just a means of survival, but is deeply connected to their identity. They have also developed adaptive systems to minimize need by sharing their produce and hunting tools with other members of their clan group. This sense of sharing is an important factor in the Kung people’s ability to live in close-knit communities. Humans must eat to survive, but how much to eat and how to eat it varies by culture.
In contrast, an example of how the reckless pursuit of wealth has completely destroyed a culture can be found among the nomadic Sahol people of Africa. The Sahol began to suffer from population growth in the 1920s. As the population grew, they needed more resources, which led to changes in their lifestyle. When above-average rainfall in the mid-1960s resulted in an abundance of grass, the Sahol began to competitively increase their livestock numbers for personal gain. When the weather subsequently dried up, they responded by grazing more livestock to maintain their quality of life. As a result, the grasslands they depend on slowly turned into desert, making it impossible for them to survive. This is the result of the principle of harmony with the ecological system, which is embedded in traditional cultural adaptations, being replaced by the pursuit of personal desires.
The story of the Sahol people is a stark reminder of the disastrous consequences of getting out of balance with nature. As the pursuit of material abundance morphed into the fulfillment of personal desires beyond mere survival, they were unable to protect their traditional way of life and environment. This shift has led to more than just ecological disaster; it has also led to the breakdown of communities and the loss of cultural identity.
Many anthropologists have documented instances where the accumulation of wealth has been used as a means to achieve other ends, rather than for material comfort and convenience. The Kwakutl Indians of North America practiced a festival called Potlatch, which involved wasteful consumption, until the early 20th century. They would competitively invite guests to give them many gifts, destroy valuable goods in front of a large crowd, and even burn down their own homes in order to gain more prestige and authority. These festivals, which seem wasteful and destructive to modern eyes, were set against a backdrop of abundant natural resources and unfixed social status, and in a culture where political prestige and authority were highly valued, wealth was naturally distributed. Beyond mere consumption, these festivals played an important role in reaffirming social relationships and bonding individuals.
A similar example is the large-scale pig slaughtering festivals of the Maring people of New Guinea. The Maring believe that the number of pigs they own is a reflection of their social status and political authority, so they take great care of their animals and don’t normally eat pork. This taboo is broken during a festival called Kaiko. This festival is held during a time when the number of pigs has increased, making food scarce and labor demanding. During these festivals, people eat all the pork they can get their hands on and give gifts of pigs to people from allied tribes. This secures allies in war, frees up labor, and restores balance to the ecosystem. For the Maring, the festival is not simply an act of consuming surplus resources, but an important means of managing ecological crises and strengthening social solidarity.
These examples show that the pursuit of material abundance may not be the central value of a culture and can be utilized as a means to achieve other goals. This diversity is due to the fact that each culture’s institutions and customs develop in response to its own historical, economic, and ecological conditions. Therefore, it is difficult to rank cultures according to a single set of criteria, or to argue that some elements of culture are better or worse than others. Instead, it is important to understand and evaluate each culture in the context of its environment and context.
