Conversation with Gemini: The Wisdom of the Indigenous Worldview

Ken: I’ve noticed that indigenous wisdom often differs sharply from the wisdom of the Abrahamic religions. For example, indigenous traditions don’t draw such a rigid line between good and evil. Take Navajo mythology — the coyote isn’t seen as evil, even though some of its actions are destructive. There’s a real nuance there.

Gemini: That’s a critical observation. Indigenous traditions often approach morality in a much more fluid way compared to the strict dualism found in many Abrahamic faiths. The Navajo coyote is a great example — it’s a trickster figure whose actions can be both helpful and harmful, sometimes at the same time. Rather than dividing the world neatly into good and evil, many indigenous worldviews see life as interconnected, dynamic, and in constant flux. They focus less on rigid moral categories and more on balance, relationships, and the consequences of actions on the whole community and natural world. It’s a holistic way of understanding existence, and it offers a richness and depth that can broaden our perspective.

Ken: Another significant difference is that Abrahamic traditions consider obedience a virtue. But the coyote in Navajo thought isn’t obedient at all. It disrupts, it creates chaos, and that disruption plays a crucial role in driving change and growth.