ABSTRACT
The Hopi prophecy delivered to the United Nations (UN), and received by the Hopi themselves millennia ago, describes two paths in life: one spiritual and one materialistic. It speaks about knowledge and about individual choices. The Hopi have shared it with the world believing that they are at a critical juncture. Four times they approached the United Nations General Assembly, to warn that the 'Bahanna' way of materialism leads to chaos and their own self-destruction. Inside the UN and other reaches of the corporate world, there is resistance and impatience towards hearing out Indigenous Peoples. Some feel that Indigenous Peoples are catered to in biodiversity talks. Some feel the emphasis on 'Indigenous knowledge systems' is overblown and unwarranted. And others simply want to set aside the niceties and get on with business. In 2001, the World Heritage Committee decided to keep its club closed to Indigenous Peoples. This slight to sacred knowledge, calculated, is merely symptomatic of economic globalization.