Aria started by asking Rae Bear where it came from. Rae Bear replied, “Just over that hill, that’s where I was left.” So, the two of them climbed up the grassy dirt hill. Suddenly, they heard the trotting of hooves approaching them. When they looked up, they saw a herd of deer. They didn’t seem welcoming or happy to see them. As they continued up the hill, the herd began to spread out to form a barrier.
The leader of the herd, who seemed to be the oldest, asked, “Who’s trespassing up into our forest?” Rae Bear immediately replied, “I’m trying to find my family. I got hurt, and now I want to return to them.” The deer recognized Rae Bear and said the cub was welcome back. But then they questioned the human being accompanying the cub.
Rae Bear with his agentic mindset says, “This human is helping me get back to my guardians.” Aria calls out, “I found this cub injured at the bottom of the hill near my home.” The deer didn’t seem impressed. They said Aria didn’t belong in the forest with the other animals and that Rae Bear should continue the journey alone. The herd’s paradigm is that humans are stereotypically harmful to the forest inhabitants. Rae Bear calls in and questions the herd, “Why do you believe that to be true of all humans?” A fawn bravely spoke up, by saying that Aria wasn’t a danger but was doing its best to help Rae Bear find its family.” This leads the other deers to start talking among themselves, realizing they might hold biased assumptions.
The herd started to reconsider their beliefs, embarking on a transformative journey where they questioned their assumptions about outsiders. They came to appreciate inclusivity by actively unlearning biases and rediscovering the significance of embracing diversity through Aria’s help. During this process, they reframed their perspective on Aria’s presence in the forest. The fawn, the smallest of the herd curiously says, “Isn’t this human selflessly trying to help our fellow forest creature?”
A murmur came from the herd and they began to unpack their biases to support the young fawn’s bravery to speak up to its leader and collectively said, “Let’s allow them to pass and warn them that there will be more challenges against other forest inhabitants.” The leader of the herd acknowledged Aria’s uniqueness to the forest and demonstrated inclusive leadership regardless of its power.
Aria and Rae Bear acknowledged and appreciated the herd’s willingness to let go of its biases and allow them to continue into the forest.