The Neo

The Neo-Abo’s Creed

by Kevin Haney



Neo-Abo – adj (New Aboriginal) 1. A person seeking to learn that which was first; original; indigenous; primitive; native. 2. A person seeking to live as the original inhabitant of any land; one of the aborigines.


The following creed is offered in the hope that it will help to promote a general understanding of what is behind the small but growing movement to return to our ancient, primitive roots, to seek out that knowledge and simple way of life that humanity knew before “Modern Civilization” took us away from Nature and from our own true nature. It is meant as a statement of philosophy and, more than that, a way of being and acting and relating to the world. While I do not presume to speak for every primitive skills practitioner, and not all Neo-Abos will agree with every statement, the creed taken as a whole is self-supporting and coherent as a worldview. It is in fact the worldview of every group of aboriginal people that still live close to the Earth according to their original instructions, the original worldview of all of humanity.


What the Neo-Abo believes about Nature:

1. Nature is One--at a very basic, fundamental level, every thing in Nature is in some way connected to every other thing.

2. The Earth can be viewed as one big, living organism. Even so-called “inanimate” objects are to some extent imbued with part of this life.

3. Everything in Nature has a purpose, a reason for being, a place in the grand scheme of things, even if we do not know it.

4. There is more to the Universe than most people can ordinarily perceive and than can be expressed by science and logical reasoning.

5. People cannot truly “own” the land in any but a superficial sense; they can only be its caretakers for a time. It is truer to say that we are owned by the land.

6. We have a sacred responsibility to take care of the land and leave it in better condition than we found it, for our children and all those to come.

7. We do not have a right to kill other living things (plants or animals) unless we need them to survive. We especially do not have a right to kill other things just for our own human convenience. To do so is not to respect other living things and thus, not to respect Life.

8. If we kill something so that we may live, we have a responsibility to use every part of it so that nothing is wasted.

9. Everything in Nature has an intrinsic value, above and beyond any value that people may place upon it. Nature was not put here for us to dominate, or simply as a supply of natural resources for us to consume.

10. Separation from Nature leads to not understanding Nature. Not understanding Nature leads to not valuing Nature. Not valuing Nature leads to destroying Nature. Destroying nature leads to death. So, separation from nature leads to death.


What the Neo-Abo believes about Humanity:

1. Humans were not meant to live a life removed from Nature and cut off from her life-giving forces. To do so is unnatural.

2. The modern ideals of consumption, consumerism, and the accumulation of wealth are antithetical to a natural way of life. They are weaknesses to be overcome.

3. The desire for constant comfort is a modern disease that “civilization” has inflicted upon the world.

4. Awareness is the key to survival.

5. In all interactions between Man and Nature, the first guiding principle should be Respect.

6. In all interactions between men, you should always speak the truth.

7. Man must learn and live within the Laws of Nature, not try to ignore them or go against them.

8. Selfishness is born of ignorance and fear and is the root of evil.

9. Modern “Individualism” is a form of selfishness.

10. The True Person always put the needs of his tribe (family, community) above his own desires.

11. A person should strive to live every day as though it were his last, for it well could be. You should make each moment count.

12. Elders should be respected for the knowledge and experience they possess. Obsession with youth is a weakness to be overcome.

13. Every person’s life is inherently valuable and each has a place within the whole.

14. A person has choice in everything that they do and in every view that they form.

15. To live for oneself is the lowest level of existence, to live for your family or community is higher, to live for all of humanity higher still, and to live for All That Is is the highest state of existence.


What the Neo-Abo believes about Truth:

1. Ignorance leads to fear, fear leads to hate, hate leads to death.

2. Knowledge leads to understanding, understanding leads to love, love leads to connectedness, which is the basis for Life.

3. If a Way says that it is the Only Way, or that you should try to convert others to the Only Way, then it is wrong. There are many paths that will lead to the same place on the mountaintop.

4. You should respect another person’s deeply held beliefs and not try to change them to match your own.

5. No person has to have someone else to interpret Truth for them—they can directly experience it themselves without any intermediary.

6. Other people cannot lead you to Truth, but they can be helpful in pointing the way.

7. The true test of a purported truth is whether or not it works in the Wilderness, the Temple of Creation, away from the distractions of the society of man.

8. Meaning is found within—purpose is found without.


What the Neo-Abo believes about Spirit:

1. All things have Spirit and thus, everything is sacred.

2. The best place to directly experience Spirit is the wilderness, away from the distractions of man and society.

3. No person has to have someone else to interpret Spirit for them—they can directly experience it themselves without any intermediary.

4. Normal perception can be extended to paranormal perception by quieting the mind and practice.

5. Quieting the mind is the key to living and experiencing in the moment. Living and experiencing in the moment is the key to experiencing Nature as it really is. Experiencing Nature as it really is is the doorway to Spirit.

6. Silence is the very Voice of God.

7. Death is not the end but merely a change of worlds. Thus, death should not be feared.