Here’s a little metaphor to help thinking about how things fit together. To make that easier.
Everyone is equal in a circle.
Native Traditions think of everything in a circle. In a circle, no one is ahead of anyone else; you’re all just going around and around. Nobody is the same as anyone else either; complete total diversity is possible inside the circle. But no one ever completely gets ahead; nobody is ever behind; nobody is better; nobody is worse.
So, put yourself in a circle with all the other people and all the other beings, and the plants and the animals, as we move through this place where we live.