How To Use Your Kujichagulia (Finding Your Way)

 

How to use Self Determination

Kujichagulia is my favorite principle, because it exposes us to the power of defining. As you know I am a kuji baby, but even with that, I have to pay homage to the principle of the week (Ujamaa). This is the principle that deals with cooperation and resources, but Kujichagulia helps us identify what our resources are, how they can be used, and how they can and should be protected. Self Determination helps us decide as a group what borders we need to create on the community and tribal level. The same applies to our personal boundaries. These are important because it allows us to form unique identities that allow for separation. This separation allows us to distinguish between things. When we can distinguish we can take ownership. Now, many people are against this idea, but it is essential for us to understand this in the modern world. This is the foundation of Nation building. Once again the source is in Kujichagulia. Once we are able to identify the difference between mine and yours we can now begin deciding what are our resources. A resource is a stock or supply of materials, people, and other assets that can be drawn on by a person or organization in order to function effectively. From our African perspective  the first resource would be people and not material (Just felt I needed to stress this). From the African perspective wealth is in the people not the material. By returning to this we empower ourselves, but at the same understand the material world and how they operate. In this it is things over people, in our system it is people over things. The major for Gye-nyame Tribe it's participating members who work for the group. Now that we defined what resources are can you identify some resources in your life, in your tribe, and in your community?

"Kujichagulia is my favorite principle, because it exposes us to the power of defining."

After we have identified the resources we now have to decide how we will use the resources to build up our community. How can the resources be used, and by who? Can they openly be sold, and should all funds be moved into a central community account when it comes to the resource? These are real questions that all builders should be thinking about. Now let's take the usual turn that we do in Gye-Nyame. After you have answered some of the questions on the larger level, I dare you to answer them on the micro level, or personal. How can you use your personal resources, can they be sold? If so, are you selling them cheap, or are you getting what they and you are worth. This is a hard one for most people because they are now selling themselves cheap and may be mad about and complain but they have not taken the time to go through the first step let alone the second. When we sell ourselves short, we close our eyes to Kujichagulia. In this process we begin to kill our Self Determination. Because now we have allowed others to determine their value, thereby defining us. Kujichagulia is about snatching our right to define who we are, and what our value is. Self Determination is a major tool when it comes to us helping ourselves, and pulling our resources together. Think about the fact that if you allow yourself and skills to be underrated and looked over, and accept that it begins to beat you down. By the fact that you allow the world to define and put a value on what you have offered. You allow others to encroach upon your territory and begin to widdle it down to nothing and now you are accepting the value that has been assigned. you begin to beg and accept what comes, and this my friend is the conundrum we are in. We have no territory because we have let the world set the price on what you have to offer and because you believe others' word as law you begin to assume a position of servitude, and begin to believe that you deserve it. I am here to tell you that is not the truth. You have begun exercising your Self Determination and protecting your Ujamaa or you will be pushed off the board of life.

"Understand that Kujichagulia can't function if you are selling yourself short as a resource"

Kujichagulia, or self-determination, which we and it encourages us to do better. In The Mis-Education of the Negro, Carter G. Woodson wrote that "If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions." Cooperative economics requires us to use our Kujichagulia to clearly define what resources we have, how they can be used and how they can be protected.

In The Mis-Education of the Negro, Carter G. Woodson wrote that "If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions."

We cannot depend on others to support our work; we must create this support by building our own institutions and supporting them. This requires us to know ourselves, and build our organizations around who we are and what we need. The best way to do this is through the economic concept Ujamaa guided by our Kujichaulia.