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Honesty: The Importance Of Truth In Native American Culture

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Thomas Jefferson, the third president and the author of the Declaration of Independence once declared, “Honesty is the best chapter in the book of wisdom. Both Native Americans and people today hold truth as one of the most important traits to have. Liars and cheats are often considered horrible by both groups of people. People who tell the truth are praised in some Native American stories. Without truth, both of these cultures would be completely different. For both of these completely different cultures to put so much importance on the same trait, must mean that the trait is extremely important.
Liars are often considered bad people to Native Americans and to modern society. In stories of Native Americans, the one who lies ends up facing consequences that the person who told the truth was not required to face. In today’s society, when a person is caught lying, they are usually publicly humiliated by the media and the public. In school, children are taught to tell the truth, and if they do not they usually receive a lot of trouble.
People who tell the truth are often praised in both cultures. In Native American stories, the good character would often tell the truth, but the unwelcome character would not. The unfavorable character would usually …show more content…

Native Americans would not trust each other for anything. They wouldn’t believe in signing peace treaties, they would not believe in their elders, nor would they believe their hunters if they came back with little to eat. People would constantly be told lies, moreover nearly all of the time people would not even care. These people would lie on live television about things that are too important to be lying about. The presidency would be completely based off of false promises, and barely when a candidate said something, would they be trusted. Kids would constantly be trying to get other kids in trouble. It would not be an enjoyable world to live

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