Western understanding of the environment is limited de facto because the language and cultural system on which it is based are rooted in a fundamental lie that human beings are separate from the Natural world. In contrast, the world over, Native worldviews and lifeways demonstrate the non-duality of humanity and the rest of creation.
In the English language, it is difficult to even speak of any aspect of creation without affirming this separation. For example, when we speak of the aspects of Nature that we need for survival, like “wood” and “food,” we don’t use the words that actually describe the living system, words like “tree,” “nourishment given from the Earth.” This may sound weird to a Western ear, but no stranger than a word like “wood” sounds to Natives.
“My Aachaa, I had a traditional relationship with an Aachaa, is a mentor type role of an older person with a younger person. My Aachaa picked me out when I was 5 years old and he taught me much of what I know about being Aleut about hunting about relationship to people, and about being a man, and relationship and understanding of nature. Yet literally from age 5 to age 13 he may have said no more than 200 words to me because words are considered in a traditional way not only to be superfluous but to diminish one’s own understanding of things that are based on one’s own inherent intelligence, of what we call the real human being.” - Ilarion Merculieff
It is important to understand how the language reflects our worldview and what we are up against as we attempt to integrate a deeper and more holistic understanding of the environment and our role going forward in the 21st Century.
We are facing unprecedented challenges that, according to prophecies from the Four Corners, are only expected to intensify.
The fundamental belief and experience that we exist “separate” from creation is the root cause of all of our suffering. It is only through regaining the knowing of our oneness, experiencing, literally, non-separation, that we will be able to come back into balance, restore what Mother Earth is calling for and heal ourselves, our communities and our world.
Mother Earth and the Environment
Video
Hope and Heart to Keep on Working on Behalf of Earth
With Merculieff, Ford and Elgin
Summary: This is a panel discussion between elders and youth on: “What gives us hope and heart to keep working on what is best for our Earth in the face of difficult changes?” In this excerpt Larry Merculieff, followed by Barbara Ford and then ending with Duane Elgin, discuss “hope.”
Source: Earth Day Conference. July 2012
Being Present – Native Perspectives on Sustainability
Summary: Larry Merculieff (Aleut) tells a story from his childhood about learning through observation of Aleut hunters and seabirds how one profoundly connects with the earth. This clip is part of a series exploring the meaning of sustainability from the perspectives of indigenous leaders from the bioregion of Salmon Nation. For a complete transcript of this interview and more from the Native Perspectives on Sustainability project, visit Native Perspectives
Source: Native Perspectives on Sustainability project. May 2010.
Use of the Term “Sustainability” – Native Perspectives
Summary: Larry Merculieff (Aleut) critiques the use and meaning of the term “sustainability,” and he speaks to the potential for human beings to draw upon our inherent intelligence to live in alignment with all of creation. This clip is part of a series exploring the meaning and definition of sustainability from the perspectives of indigenous leaders from the bioregion of Salmon Nation. For a complete transcript of this interview and more from the Native Perspectives on Sustainability project, visit Native Perspectives
Source: Native Perspectives on Sustainability project. November 2009.
Asking the Right Questions – Native Perspectives on Sustainability
Summary: Larry Merculieff (Aleut) suggests that understanding how to address the problems we have created requires that we ask the right questions, look inward at ourselves and engage in dialogue with diverse perspectives. This clip is part of a series exploring the meaning of sustainability from the perspectives of indigenous leaders from the bioregion of Salmon Nation. For a complete transcript of this interview and more from the Native Perspectives on Sustainability project, visit Native Perspectives
Source: Native Perspectives on Sustainability project. January 2010
Interviews
Indigenous Perspectives on Sustainability
with David Hall (interviewer) & Larry Merculieff (interviewee)
Summary: According to Merculieff, we diminish the meaning of our relationship to the Earth with words like “sustainability,” which have definitions too small to characterize the set of values and principles humankind must employ to truly live in a way that is mutually beneficial for all life. Native people focus instead on the underlying principle of relationship based on reciprocity, thinking ahead for the generations to come. In this 22 minute interview, Merculieff shares personal stories of his upbringing, how he got his cultural role as Kuuyux and the roots of his understanding of our role and relationship with the Earth Mother.
Source: Native Perspectives on Sustainability project. June 2007.