Dolphin Teeth more Valuable than the Dollar

from the article below:

"The white man's money will end, but the dolphin teeth will always be there for us."

I had no idea this was still happening and I find to be a little on prophetic side. I wasn't even sure which forum would best suit this story, fragile earth, economic issues, maybe even survival?? The teeth btw are used to pay dowries and settle tribal property issues.

Shrinking Dollar Meets Its Match In Dolphin Teeth


While I'm apalled that dolphins are still being hunted for their teeth and realize that we really cannot influence these people to change their customs, I'm also impressed by financial planning for the future. I just wish it was cowrie shells that they were collecting instead of dolphin teeth.
Still there is a lesson to be learned somewhere in this way of thinking, anyone knows what American Indians and Europeans used for currency before money?

i thought native americans used beads an really services... like bartings...

not sure of europeans, gold coin i know was widely acceppted.

Oh great, now the Chinese will be dumping even more carcasses deep into the ocean floors.

ahh that's right, thanks trance. I forgot about the beads.
Well if we return to beads here in North America, I'll be very rich

It's a shame that these people don't see beyond their immediate needs in one aspect, but yet are able to see ahead for the future. I have a special affinity for whales and dolphins and this to me is so tragic, yet I understand these people's position. very conflicting

in all honestly money an currency is flawed.

I mean you use money to buy items and services you yourself cannot do right...
but the items and services for the most part are free...
but your placing a price on items an services that are free someone is gettin a better end of that stick then the person buying or selling.

why in hadas hasnt things changed thruout our many moons on this planet...
i mean at least if you were a native american you didnt starve cuz you didnt have enuff beads... you worked off your debt.

so i guess in the begining things were done for each other as long as something else was done in return for them. thruout time someone was like i dont need anything done, but could use some gold or dolphin teeth.

think about how Productful our way of life would be on this planet if everything was free, given you were able to produce a service for what you needed... then professions would really play a part in how you lived an experienced life.

No more homelessness no more starving, still would have stealing im sure but not of your money. by people who didnt wanna work for the things they need.

Money has just seemed to really destroy so many lives.
It makes people insane IMO.

reply to post by Trance Optic


In a bartering society, or one that uses other items like teeth there is still a social system, a hierarchy or importance and worth and yes..

Inflation.

The idea of "no money" and "no bartering" what so ever cannot and will not ever happen. It goes against Human nature for order, control and social structuring.

Essentially teeth are no different then a dollar. They are worth the same in the sense that I will sell you something in teeth if I know I can buy something in return for teeth. There will be some people with lots of teeth, some people with no teeth and if a large influx of teeth comes into the market unchecked, inflation of teeth.

Poor Dolphins.

But the islanders mastered economics and didn't even know it.

reply to post by worldwatcher

..anyone knows what American Indians and Europeans used for currency before money?

I don't know about the American Indians, I think they used entirely barter for there trading. There's a Cree saying going something like "money can't be eaten"... so what are they worth? That said they probably did use precious stones and excotic sea shells in their barter.

I know about Northern Europe, Scandinavia and the Baltic area that before metalurgy flintstones was used for trading. Later when vikings ventured deep inland in Russia salt was an object of barter, and when the vain Romans came around amber was the currency of the North.

Al of the time salted dried herring might have been the main trade object. In ancient times accounts tell when the migration of herrings from the Baltic through the narrow Danish straits took place in early spring they where so abundant that you could literally walk on the water.

Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but that they were harvested simply by going out in small boats and shovel herrings out of the water is true. That's what build the wealth of Denmark.

Well, this rant more about barter than about currency maybe, but that the dolphin teeth of the Solomons can only raise in value as the species gets closer to extinction is a sad fact of this story.

Oh yeah, not to forget; the slavetrade of Africans to the Americas was done in conch shells harvested in the Mississippi delta. I have that from Bruce Chatwin's The Viceroy of Quidah, and I believe it to be true.

African Slave trade was done with shells yes, but also one tribe would enslave another tribe, as usual custom, and then sold the ones that got the highest bidding for anything from salt, guns to conquer more tribes, textiles, gold, silver, information, even accounts that a tribe would sell a weaker tribe to have slave traders assist in conquering a more powerful tribe. Who would then be enslaved of course.

I don't think a barter society would work in modern times. I do believe in resorting back to a more communal system and a much less materialistic world. In fact I would support abolishing TV's even as they make us fat, lazy and stupid.