Menom A Barok - WHITEMAN TOLD ME

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Whiteman told me, that I am 46 years old; I told him I'm 50 000 years old.

Whiteman told me he taught me better agriculture techniques; I told him I invented agriculture. 

Whiteman told me that he brought modern education system; I told him that in my indigenous educational system, there is no such thing as unemployment.

Whiteman told me that he introduced money; I told him in our barter economics, we trade value for value, not valueless paper money for debt.

Whiteman told me that he brought time; I told him we understand seasons & tides better than his digital watch.

Whiteman told me that he gave me books to understand the world; I told him my oral history from my forefathers is my priceless library that is timless, that my memory give birth to my bio-cosmic conscience.

Whiteman told me that he made my life easier when he introduced cars; I told him I never heard of my own people bumping each other to death while walking.

White man told me he introduced medicine; I told him I never spent expensive bills on my herbal medicine.

Whiteman told me I was naked & he gave his clothes; I told him in my society there was no such thing as nakedness before he came.

Whiteman told me to speak his English language as a sign of success; I told him my ancestors spoke me into being through their native language & now I'm here as a refined man. 

Whiteman told me that I had food security issues; I told him if that was the case then he would have starved to death already in my country.

Whiteman told me to adopt his name so that I can sound modern; I told him my traditional names are pathways that connect me to my people, land, ancestors' creed, & Divine Self.

Whiteman told me that he introduced phone to connect us all; I told him untill you are in a place where there is not network coverage, my Kundu Drum will do the talking.

Whiteman told me he introduced satellite communications to help me find my way around; I told him I still use star-gazing & wave-reading skills taught to me by my ancestors to navigate around the high seas of the Pacific.

Whiteman told me he gave me his Constitution; I told him I'm the living Constitution carved out from my ancestors' moral code, that I already knew right from wrong before you came with your indoctrinations. 

Whiteman told me that he brought God; I told him he's wrong, that God was already in Melanesia before he came, for God is Omnipresent.

IF WE CANNOT DEFINE OURSELVES, THE FOREIGNERS WILL.

PC:UKNG