Tribal Economics 101

by TWA Founder Ben Jamin Walker

The original social-economic Math Camp

Since prehistoric times, a vital part of childhood has been children discovering for themselves what it takes to function as a tribe.

Human children are Makers, and they are social creatures that desire to be more than just consumers. Children want to be producers, using their own hands and minds. Kids innately desire this real world education, but that path can be messy. A core Tribal Wisdom Academy method to achieve actual education and growth is to allow kids to make mistakes …and giving kids money usually does that.

A childhood at the Tribal Wisdom Academy Day Camp is painfully successful in teaching many great life lessons.

On each Monday, all villagers receive 8 Tribal Coins with only 7 simple rules:

Tribal Government Economic Code 25.07.01 (The 7 Coin Rules)

1. Rule #1 - Secure your string of Tribal Coins to your belt, or belt loop, hat or clothing. Keep your string of coins, at all times, tied to your clothing! Learn the correct loop-knot from your Mentor.

2. Spend or invest your Tribal Coins wisely. Discover the virtues of honesty and integrity. Don’t cheat the younger kids, like don’t sell them stuff that is not for sale. Don’t buy a hole in the ground, even if the price is two-for-one! Solve your own problems by discovering what is fair. (This part of your education is painful by design). Ask camp Mentors for help. No crying to parents about your financial problems…

3. No banks! (Always keep your own string of coins secured to your belt loop on your pants. So if your coins are “missing", try looking for your pants).

4. No selling food or drink nor any items from home. (Although the Alumni can ask the Camp Director on Wednesday and Thursday to open a Camp Store that sells or Raffles items that TWA will provide).

5. No selling your daily take-home project! (Take it home). Never use the TWA main project supplies to make crafts to sell. Also note that if Ben or the Mentors help you build something, then you cannot sell it. Your take-home daily projects should become your Family Heirlooms.

6. Mentors will add coins into the economy by offering a very limited number of Tribal Government Jobs. Mentors may not purchase items from students. (Adding too many coins to the economy will cause inflation, which reduces the purchasing power of your coins).

7. Students may bring to camp their authentic TWA coins earned during previous TWA summers.

Kids can become employers of other kids, or get a job in a kid-directed project.

Some kids will build wooden arcade games (“Tribal Vegas”) and then their customers will painfully learn not to gamble with their money. (Better to learn that now, rather than in 10 years).

Only Alumni can apply for a Tribal Police job, and then use the “Tribal Police Report” system. Tribal Police may create a Detective Agency and get hired by other kids for investigations. Alumni who get Tribal Government jobs will learn how to be fair and useful to the village.

Students may bring their coins from previous summers at TWA camps. And yes, this causes “inflation”. For example, if you create a camp store to sell wooden products that you make at camp, the product’s selling price will be inflated to a higher price because of too much money in circulation. So a new camper with just 8 coins will not have very much buying power, and will then need to become a producer who earns tribal coins by creating a business venture.

Kids learn by doing! Some kids make new friends by selling partnerships in their camp business venture. A lot of kids make and sell wooden toys or art. Kids can become employers, or get a job in a kid-directed project. Alumni who get Tribal Government jobs learn how to be fair and useful to the village. Some kids build wooden arcade games (“Tribal Vegas”) and their customers painfully about making calculated risks. Parents get to listen to their child work out their own financial problems. Your child will learn that being a “Big Kid” requires mature social skills, and math.