Interview I gave after WILD 9 about indigenous world views
Larry Merculieff, the traveler who travels the world
Valentina Martínez Valdés
La Jornada Ecologico
Translated from spanish to english.
All these conditions have led Merculieff to become a voice and an activist dedicated to demanding that the traditional knowledge and wisdom of indigenous peoples be applied to meet the challenges of today’s world. And is that the Aleutas have much to say. For them, the cause of the environmental crisis can be attributed to a male imbalance. The balance between the feminine and the masculine is a shared spiritual perspective in the world. Larry begins by explaining: “To be a good hunter, I need to be present, completely present in mind and body at that time, I can not be rambling elsewhere. I have to soften the way I talk so that animals do not notice me and I should not be aggressive. And at this moment the feminine qualities are present. “ This is only an example where the dualities of the masculine and feminine coexist to create a stability that allows to share harmoniously with the environment.
In her travels around the world, Merculieff has also emphasized the importance of the wisdom transmitted by the elders of different cultures of the world. Larry was taught by his elders to communicate with the ocean, to move in it, to listen to it, to understand it and above all to thank him. “The traditional world that I come from, the idea is that we have to give, give, give, give all time to nature.This no longer exists in most countries. That’s why I keep insisting that you listen to the wisdom of those people who have intact the way they coexist with nature. “ Over time, indigenous peoples have developed intimate relationships with their environment and have generated and transmitted knowledge about it. However, it is a tradition that has been gradually lost. “Most young generations of the world have lost this ability, and this has become a major concern for the elders of different traditions because we are at a point where this knowledge, this understanding, this wisdom, will become A critical element for the survival of the human race, “says Larry.” In these times, people do not know how to coexist, how to give back to the earth. In Western societies and industrialized nations, everything is to take, to take, to take. “
The tireless activist has faith, as well as women and young people. “We are educating generations of young people who have no direction and who are not aware of other ways of thinking. This has to change. They use technology to mitigate pollution and destruction, but if we have the same consciousness and the same mind that created the problem, how can we expect these young people to know what to do. “ Larry continues, “I’m trying to connect to what I call emerging leaders, who are in their 20s and 30s, and put them in touch with each other. I am also convincing people who were here in the congress who are good people, but they are of a generation that must be put aside and let this new generation take action. With the wisdom of the elders, they can help create a new worldview. “
Who is Larry Marculieff?
Larry Merculieff has spent nearly four decades serving his people, the Pribil of Islanders, as well as other indigenous peoples who have many functions. Its scope has been wide and varied. Some of the positions he has held include: St. Paul Island Municipal Administrator, Alaska Department of Commerce and Economic Development Commissioner, President and CEO of Tanadgusix Corporation, Chairman of The Board of The Aleut Corporation, Co-President of Japan -Alaska Fishery Cooperative, and deputy director of the Alaska Native Science Commission.
Larry Merculieff
Who are the Aleuts?
The seal hunters of Pribilofs are descendants of the Aleutian race who settled in the Aleuta archipelago, a chain of islands of more than one thousand 300 km that extends from the southwest of Alaska. It is believed that they migrated from Asia through the Bering Strait about 12,000 to 15,000 years ago.
Http://www.amiq.org/aleuts.html
Source: http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2009/12/07/eco-j.html