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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Mel – The fellow you quoted at the
end has it right, and I wouldn’t expect too much change in the role of
tribal elders. They have been doing that a long time, and always in the way of
Open Space, by whatever name. I am reminded of a Navajo chief who came up to me
at the end of an Open Space. He took my hand, smiled and said, “What took
you so long white man? Join the club.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Harrison<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName> [mailto:<st1:PersonName w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Mel Bradbury<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, June 03, 2008 10:01
AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> OST with indigenous
groups</span></font><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'>Hi guys,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'>I have a question for any of you that have worked with indigenous
groups using OST. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'>As a bit of background to the question, I have noticed in my work with
indigenous groups in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
that the ‘group’ dynamics – ie. leadership and structure work
quite differently to non-indigenous groups. In a non-indigenous group its quite
easy to tell who are the leaders, who are the juniors, and who are middle
management types just by the way they act. The leaders mostly position
themselves up the front of the ‘group’, they talk a lot, and give
lots of directions. Of course OST dissolves a lot of that structure, but not
all.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'>In the indigenous groups I’ve worked with the leaders, or elders,
behave quite differently. They are the ones that sit right up the back of the
room, in the quietest little corner they can find. They rarely speak and most
people don’t even know they were there. An aboriginal guy I’ve
worked with a bit over the years once told me that they don’t tell people
what to do, they wait for people to come and ask them questions and it’s
not until the person asks the right question, that they get an answer.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'>So I am wondering, if OST can make non-indigenous leaders relinquish a
little of their ‘command and control’ behaviour and let the junior
staff have a bit of a say, does OST dissolve some of that group structure with
indigenous groups. Does it make the elders speak up a little more??????<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'>As an aside, the one experience I’ve had with OST and indigenous
people was when I facilitated a group of around 40 environmental professionals
which included about 3 or 4 indigenous guys. In the closing circle one of the
aboriginal guys said, “its good to see you fellas using this way of
discussing our issues, our mob have been doing it this way for years”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'>Cheers Mel.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Calibri><span lang=EN-AU style='font-size:
11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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