Kwakiutl - their attitudes of exalting yourself and your clan by down-grading others.

Zuni - Hopi - the opposite of the above. You never exalt yourself. Be equal, don't try to be better than the next fellow.

Navajo - they fear 'closure'. They'll leave everything just a 'hair' from being completed. They never finish a job, be it a house, silver buckle, bow, etc.

Yurok - money was extremely important to them. It was worth risking your life for and it gave one prestige. The pursuit of money helped keep the world pure.

U.S. - though 'economics' is the dominating area of our lives, it suddenly becomes our philosophy as it influences our motives for living.

Importance

Philosophy is important because it deals with the "why" of things. Why do they act, react, reason, etc. the way they do? Philosophy deals with the motives and purposes for living.

We can't understand people only by watching them do things or handle things or make things. We must understand why thy do what they do - otherwise they will be a complete puzzle to us. Need to know more than just how, who, where, when, etc. ... need to know why?

Methods of gathering

This should be the place you record the 'themes' and consider the coordinating and balancing of all the facets (universals) in their lives, with the idea of seeing what they are living for - what the motivations are for being.

Discovering themes:

1. What is success? security?

2. What is quarreled about? resisted? etc.