my name is Arlo Davis my parents are Joseph Davis and Martha
my parents are Joseph Davis and Martha
my parents are Joseph Davis and Martha ramoth my grandparents are Ralph and
ramoth my grandparents are Ralph and
ramoth my grandparents are Ralph and Emma Ramos and Jan fan Estelle and art
Emma Ramos and Jan fan Estelle and art
Emma Ramos and Jan fan Estelle and art Davis I grew up in Nome Alaska out on
Davis I grew up in Nome Alaska out on
Davis I grew up in Nome Alaska out on the coast maybe 400 miles from here and
the coast maybe 400 miles from here and
the coast maybe 400 miles from here and so Loic Nome is a town of about 3500
so Loic Nome is a town of about 3500
so Loic Nome is a town of about 3500 people Selleck is a village of about 842
people Selleck is a village of about 842
people Selleck is a village of about 842 give or take I caught my first caribou
give or take I caught my first caribou
give or take I caught my first caribou when I was 8 years old outside Selawik
when I was 8 years old outside Selawik
when I was 8 years old outside Selawik Alaska I was going to our downriver fish
Alaska I was going to our downriver fish
Alaska I was going to our downriver fish camp with my family in the summertime in
camp with my family in the summertime in
camp with my family in the summertime in a big boat and we ran into you some
a big boat and we ran into you some
a big boat and we ran into you some caribou swimming through the river so we
caribou swimming through the river so we
caribou swimming through the river so we turned around me and my cousin got our
turned around me and my cousin got our
turned around me and my cousin got our rifles ready and when we were ready we
rifles ready and when we were ready we
rifles ready and when we were ready we went back and we caught two of them
went back and we caught two of them
went back and we caught two of them brought them to the riverbank pulled
brought them to the riverbank pulled
brought them to the riverbank pulled them up and worked on them as a family
them up and worked on them as a family
them up and worked on them as a family so where I come from we have a very
so where I come from we have a very
so where I come from we have a very intimate relationship with knives they
intimate relationship with knives they
intimate relationship with knives they are natural normal and essential for
are natural normal and essential for
are natural normal and essential for life
and while it’s really easy to see how
and while it’s really easy to see how knives are natural and normal and
knives are natural and normal and
knives are natural and normal and essential where I come from I believe
essential where I come from I believe
essential where I come from I believe that really all over the world
that really all over the world
that really all over the world knives are natural normal and essential
the cutting edge of a knife is kind of
the cutting edge of a knife is kind of mysterious to me I think it’s kind of
mysterious to me I think it’s kind of
mysterious to me I think it’s kind of like fire or some other natural element
the moment that you cut a piece of wood
the moment that you cut a piece of wood and turn one thing into two things at a
and turn one thing into two things at a
and turn one thing into two things at a cellular or molecular level it’s I don’t
cellular or molecular level it’s I don’t
cellular or molecular level it’s I don’t understand it I think it’s amazing so I
understand it I think it’s amazing so I
understand it I think it’s amazing so I caught my first caribou when I was eight
caught my first caribou when I was eight
caught my first caribou when I was eight knives are natural normal and essential
and the idea that I want to explain is
and the idea that I want to explain is that our conscience our sense of right
that our conscience our sense of right
that our conscience our sense of right and wrong is represented by a knife and
and wrong is represented by a knife and
and wrong is represented by a knife and in that moment we’re all the same so let
in that moment we’re all the same so let
in that moment we’re all the same so let me explain what I mean a little bit a
me explain what I mean a little bit a
me explain what I mean a little bit a knife has two sides that are joined by
knife has two sides that are joined by
knife has two sides that are joined by one cutting edge when something know
one cutting edge when something know
one cutting edge when something know rises in our conscience and we remember
rises in our conscience and we remember
rises in our conscience and we remember to do something or remember to not do
to do something or remember to not do
to do something or remember to not do something that moment when that happens
something that moment when that happens
something that moment when that happens is a moment in time and we can’t go back
is a moment in time and we can’t go back
is a moment in time and we can’t go back and uh think what has occurred to us we
and uh think what has occurred to us we
and uh think what has occurred to us we are left with a choice of what to do
are left with a choice of what to do
are left with a choice of what to do about that
about that
about that choice that has become available to us
choice that has become available to us
choice that has become available to us and that moment happens for all of us so
and that moment happens for all of us so
and that moment happens for all of us so that’s what I mean by in that moment we
that’s what I mean by in that moment we
that’s what I mean by in that moment we are all the same
are all the same
are all the same of course we oftentimes disagree about
of course we oftentimes disagree about
of course we oftentimes disagree about what to do or we may agree about what to
what to do or we may agree about what to
what to do or we may agree about what to do but we may disagree on how to do it
there’s lots of ways that we disagree
there’s lots of ways that we disagree there are also lots of ways that we
there are also lots of ways that we
there are also lots of ways that we agree though and so what this means this
agree though and so what this means this
agree though and so what this means this shared moment that we have that is
shared moment that we have that is
shared moment that we have that is sometimes in harmony with each other and
sometimes in harmony with each other and
sometimes in harmony with each other and sometimes opposed to one a child one one
sometimes opposed to one a child one one
sometimes opposed to one a child one one another that clear identification of
another that clear identification of
another that clear identification of that moment for both of us creates a
that moment for both of us creates a
that moment for both of us creates a space a clearly defined space where we
space a clearly defined space where we
space a clearly defined space where we can then talk about our similarities in
can then talk about our similarities in
can then talk about our similarities in our differences and talking is a good
our differences and talking is a good
our differences and talking is a good thing especially when it comes to
thing especially when it comes to
thing especially when it comes to conflict however
conflict however
conflict however sometimes that moment is wrong sometimes
sometimes that moment is wrong sometimes
sometimes that moment is wrong sometimes we are wrong which is why there’s an old
we are wrong which is why there’s an old
we are wrong which is why there’s an old saying before you do anything make a cup
saying before you do anything make a cup
saying before you do anything make a cup of tea because sometimes things happen
of tea because sometimes things happen
of tea because sometimes things happen and we want to immediately do something
and we want to immediately do something
and we want to immediately do something or not do something or whatever it is
or not do something or whatever it is
or not do something or whatever it is and it’s important for some of those
and it’s important for some of those
and it’s important for some of those bigger things that they be questioned
because sometimes that clear moment is
because sometimes that clear moment is right and sometimes that clear moment
right and sometimes that clear moment
right and sometimes that clear moment needs adjustment especially when we are
needs adjustment especially when we are
needs adjustment especially when we are talking about more than one person
talking about more than one person
talking about more than one person involved in doing any kind of big
involved in doing any kind of big
involved in doing any kind of big project or anything like that but the
project or anything like that but the
project or anything like that but the idea is very simple it’s that a knife
idea is very simple it’s that a knife
idea is very simple it’s that a knife represents our conscience and in that
represents our conscience and in that
represents our conscience and in that moment we share that moment and we’re
moment we share that moment and we’re
moment we share that moment and we’re all the same I think what this means is
all the same I think what this means is
all the same I think what this means is that it’s uh helps see the humanity in
that it’s uh helps see the humanity in
that it’s uh helps see the humanity in our enemies in our friends in our family
our enemies in our friends in our family
our enemies in our friends in our family and people we don’t know and that by
and people we don’t know and that by
and people we don’t know and that by seeing that shared bit of humanity it
seeing that shared bit of humanity it
seeing that shared bit of humanity it helps people get along it helps me get
helps people get along it helps me get
helps people get along it helps me get along with other people and that’s a
along with other people and that’s a
along with other people and that’s a good thing
good thing
good thing so what speech about our shared humanity
so what speech about our shared humanity
so what speech about our shared humanity would be complete without a song or
would be complete without a song or
would be complete without a song or dance of some kind so here’s a little
dance of some kind so here’s a little
dance of some kind so here’s a little tune I like to call Poe dig Lee
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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