Indigenous Philosophies Around the World: Relationality, Reciprocity, and Balance

Learning Goal: “I can describe core principles found in many Indigenous philosophies around the world, such as relationality, reciprocity, and balance.”

1. Introduction: What Does “Indigenous” Mean?

The word Indigenous comes from a Latin root that means “belonging to a place.” This is important, because the term can describe more than just people. Plants and animals can also be Indigenous to a region if they have lived there naturally for a long time. When we use the word for people, it refers to groups whose ancestors belonged to a place long before modern countries and borders were created.

Indigenous peoples live on every continent except Antarctica. This includes:

First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in Canada
Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand
Sámi peoples in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia
Mapuche in Chile and Argentina
Many Indigenous nations across Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and the Americas

Even though these groups are very different from one another, many share similar core ideas about how to live well. These ideas are often called Indigenous philosophies. They are ways of understanding life, the land, and relationships.

This handout will introduce three ideas that appear again and again in Indigenous teachings around the world:

Relationality
Reciprocity
Balance

These ideas connect directly to the Native Studies 20 curriculum, which asks students to understand key Indigenous concepts, values, and worldviews and to recognize how these ideas shape communities around the world.

2. The World as a Web: Understanding Relationality

Many Indigenous philosophies teach that everything is connected. This idea is called relationality. To understand relationality, imagine the world as a giant spiderweb. When you touch one part of the web, the whole web feels it. In the same way, when one part of life changes—such as the land, animals, water, or people—everything else is affected.

Relationality in Global Indigenous Contexts

The Māori word whakapapa refers to genealogy and deep connections between people, land, and ancestors.
Sámi reindeer herders speak about relationships between people, animals, and seasons as part of a living circle.
Mapuche teachings include ideas about how land, water, and human life depend on each other.

These groups do not share the same stories or practices. Their languages, lands, and histories are different. But the idea that “everything is connected” appears again and again.

Why Relationality Matters

If everything is connected, then every action matters. Caring for land, water, or animals is not separate from caring for ourselves. This view challenges the idea that humans are “above” nature. Instead, humans are part of a wider family.

3. Sharing and Returning: Understanding Reciprocity

The second core idea is reciprocity. This means giving and receiving in ways that keep relationships healthy. It is the understanding that when you take something, you also give something back.

A Simple Metaphor

Think of a friendship. A friendship works when both people care, listen, and help each other. If only one person gives, the friendship becomes unbalanced. If only one person takes, the relationship becomes strained.

Indigenous philosophies apply this idea not only between people, but also between humans and the natural world.

Reciprocity Around the World

In many Indigenous Pacific Island cultures, sharing food and resources keeps communities strong during storms or droughts.
In Australian Aboriginal teachings, caring for the land is seen as part of what makes a person a responsible human being.
In many American Indigenous nations, harvesting plants or animals includes careful practices of respect and gratitude.

Again, these teachings differ from place to place. But the idea that giving back is necessary for a good life is widespread.

What Reciprocity Teaches Us

Reciprocity asks us to think about:

What do we take?
What do we give back?
How do our actions affect future generations?

When reciprocity is practiced, relationships stay strong across time.

4. Living in a Good Way: Understanding Balance

The third core idea seen in many Indigenous philosophies is balance. Balance means keeping different parts of life steady so that none overwhelms the others. This includes physical balance, emotional balance, social balance, and environmental balance.

A Simple Metaphor

Imagine a three-legged stool. If one leg is too short or too long, the stool tips over. Balance keeps it steady. Many Indigenous philosophies describe life in the same way: all parts of the self and the world must work together.

Balance Across Cultures

Some Andean Indigenous groups speak about balance between humans, the mountains, and the sky.
Many North American Indigenous philosophies talk about balance between mind, heart, body, and spirit.
In West African Indigenous teachings, balance between community roles helps keep society healthy.

These ideas do not come from one culture. They show up in many places because balance is a human need.

Why Balance Matters

Without balance, people may harm themselves, each other, or the land. With balance, people can:

make thoughtful decisions
care for their communities
manage change
protect the environment

Balance is both a personal and collective responsibility.

5. How These Principles Work Together

Relationality, reciprocity, and balance are separate ideas, but they are also deeply connected.

Relationality teaches us that everything is linked.
Reciprocity teaches us how to care for those links.
Balance teaches us how to keep relationships strong over time.

Each idea supports the others. If one is missing, the system becomes weaker.

Together, these three principles form a foundation for many Indigenous worldviews, even when the details and practices differ from place to place.

6. Global Indigenous Examples (Non-Sacred and Non-Ceremonial)

To help students understand that Indigenous knowledge is global, here are short, safe, non-sacred examples showing how these principles appear in different parts of the world:

Aotearoa New Zealand (Māori)

Identity includes deep relations with land and ancestors.
Caring for rivers and forests is seen as caring for the whole community.

Scandinavia (Sámi)

Reindeer herding depends on balanced movement with the seasons.
Decisions are made with attention to land, animals, and people.

Australia (Aboriginal Peoples)

Land is understood as a living relative.
People carry responsibilities to care for country, not just use it.

South America (Mapuche, Quechua, Aymara)

Balance between humans and the natural world is seen as necessary for harmony.
Reciprocity guides trade, farming, and community life.

Africa (Yoruba and other Indigenous groups)

Community well-being depends on reciprocal relationships.
Balance is part of ethical living and decision-making.

These examples are not complete. They show only broad themes, not cultural specifics, and avoid sacred teachings. Their purpose is to help students see that Indigenous philosophies exist across the world.

7. Why These Principles Matter in Native Studies 20

The Saskatchewan Native Studies 20 curriculum asks students to:

understand Indigenous worldviews
identify common concepts and values
explore how Indigenous peoples see relationships, responsibilities, and community
appreciate global diversity among Indigenous groups

This handout supports these goals by introducing ideas that appear in many Indigenous cultures without assuming they are identical.

Relationality, reciprocity, and balance help students understand:

how Indigenous peoples make decisions
why land is often seen as a living relation
why community responsibility is important
how wellbeing is understood in many Indigenous contexts

These ideas build a foundation for later topics such as self-determination, governance, land stewardship, and global Indigenous issues.

8. Thinking About These Ideas in Today’s World

Many governments, schools, and organizations today are learning from these principles:

Environmental groups use relational thinking to understand climate change.
Community organizations use reciprocity to guide partnerships.
Health programs think about balance between physical, emotional, social, and cultural wellbeing.

Indigenous philosophies are not “old.” They continue to shape how people understand the world.

9. Summary

Indigenous peoples live around the world.
Many Indigenous philosophies teach that everything is connected (relationality).
Healthy relationships require giving back (reciprocity).
A good life requires keeping different parts in harmony (balance).
These principles appear globally, though each culture expresses them in its own way.
Learning these ideas supports the goals of Saskatchewan Native Studies 20.

10. References and Source Notes

Note: This handout was written with assistance from AI and reviewed for accuracy. Sources below represent well-established, publicly available knowledge and avoid sacred or restricted teachings.

Academic and Public Sources

Battiste, M. (2013). Decolonizing Education: Nourishing the Learning Spirit. Saskatoon: Purich Publishing.

Cajete, G. (2000). Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence. Santa Fe: Clear Light Publishers.

Durie, M. (1998). Whaiora: Māori Health Development. Oxford University Press.

Helander, E., & Kailo, K. (1998). No Beginning, No End: The Sámi Speak Up. Dialogue Foundation.

Simpson, L. (2014). Land as Pedagogy. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 3(3), 1–25.

Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing Methodologies. Zed Books.

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). Global overview documents.

World Bank. Indigenous Peoples: Global Profiles (publicly accessible).