In the Absence of the Sacred
a review by Ron Mader

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Jerry Mander's In the Absence of the Sacred is almost a decade old, yet its review of technology and indigenous peoples is as timely as ever.

The essay "Why Indians are Non News" documents lackluster journalism practices. This chapter alone is a must-read, particularly for those who are interested in improving journalism coverage.

Excerpts from In the Absence of the Sacred:

"Just like the rest of us, reporters and producers have been raised without knowledge of Indian history of Indian struggles. Perhaps most important, media people have had little contact with Indians, since Indians live mostly in parts of the world where the media isn't."

"When our society does extend its tentacles to make contact -- usually when corporations are seeking land or minerals, or military forces are seeking control -- there is little media present to observe and report on what transpires."

"When reporters are flown in to someplace where Indians are making news, they are ill-prepared and unknowledgeable about the local situation. If reports do emerge, the sources are the corporate or military public relations arm of the Western intruders."

"It is also in the nature of modern media to distort the Indian message, which is far too subtle, sensory, complex, spiritual and ephemeral to fit the gross guidelines of mass-media reporting, which emphasizes conflict and easily grasped imagery. A reporter would have to spend a great deal of time with the Indians to understand why digging up the earth for minerals is a sacrilege, or why diverting a stream can destroy a culture, or why cutting a forest deprives people of their religious and human rights."

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Ron Mader lives in Mexico and hosts the award-winning Planeta.com website -- www.planeta.com. Ron is the author of the Exploring Ecotourism Resource Guide and can be contracted for presentations and workshops.

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