The Red Scare of Communism

In current political debate, defenders of capitalism often attack social democrats, branding them as communists and warning that their ideas threaten freedom and prosperity. This raises a question worth sitting with. What would those same voices make of the philosophies held by Indigenous nations such as the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Mi’kmaw Nation?It is vital to establish that these are living communities today. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy currently includes the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora Nations. Their foundational values run counter to the core tenets of capitalism.Capitalism is an economic system defined by private ownership and the pursuit of profit. It relies on a reality where individuals and corporations control resources rather than the public. Private property grants the legal right to own, control, and accumulate assets. The primary force of the system is the profit motive, and every decision about production, investment, and distribution is calculated to maximize financial gain for the owners. In the end, capitalism organizes society around the steady accumulation of wealth.These Indigenous nations practice a disciplined foresight. The Seventh Generation value is rooted in the oral constitution of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This principle instructs leaders to weigh not only the present but the generations to come, including those whose faces are yet beneath the ground. Chiefs consider how present choices will affect descendants who have yet to be born. The world is treated as something borrowed from future generations.The principle of Netukulimk is a central Mi’kmaw value meaning to take only what you need. It means using the bounty of creation to support the individual and the community without jeopardizing the integrity, diversity, or productivity of the environment.These teachings connect present choices with obligations that extend beyond the people making them. They demand that we leave descendants clean water, stable ecosystems, living cultures, and meaningful choices. A system built on accumulation sits in direct tension with a philosophy that treats excess as a threat to communal survival. One system promises endless extraction. The other tries to ensure there is still a world left to inhabit. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit quietcanines.substack.com/subscribe