In my last blogpost I wrote about what my stay in the Yawanawa village from chief Iskua Kua has taught me about the forest as a pharmacy and the role of indigenous languages in preserving that knowledge. The value of indigenous languages surpasses the indigenous context and goes way further than merely protecting global cultural heritage. Indigenous languages are valuable because they can make us see the world differently and inspire a closer connection to our natural environment – something that is very necessary if we are to change the human behavior that has led to the ecological crisis.
In a university class on language and thought we learned about how language can shape the way we think. One of the things I learned is that when there is a concept or name for something, it becomes possible and easier to distinguish it from another. The example my teacher gave was that of colours in Japan. Until about 100 years ago the Japanese language did not have a distinctive word for green (now they do; midori). Instead, things that we would describe with the English word green would in Japanese have the word that also indicates blue (aoi). Because the word blue is still often used for things we might consider green (midori) researchers have found in a study with Japanese and English-speaking people that the Japanese speaking participants were less accurate in distinguishing shades of blue and green.
Another somewhat different example to show the influence of language on thought is that of cultures who use absolute directionality. Absolute directionality entails that the cardinal directions (north, east, south, west) are used to indicate sense of directions. Aboriginal cultures such as the Kuuk Thaayorre people of Northern Australia use cardinal directions as part of their everyday language and they have an incredible sense of orientation and spatial memory. Prof. Lera Boroditsky did research with the Kuuk Thaayorre in Pormpuraaw, a small Aboriginal community on the western edge of Cape York, in northern Australia. She states that the use of cardinal directions is done at all scales, which means you have to say things like “There’s an ant on your southeast leg”. One obvious example consequence of speaking such a language is that you have to stay oriented at all times in order to speak properly. The normal greeting in Kuuk Thaayorre is “Where are you going?” and the answer should be something like “Southsoutheast, in the middle distance.” This means that if you do not know which way you are facing, you cannot even get past “Hello.” What this example illustrates is that languages correspond to a certain way of thinking.
In Kuuk Thaayorre, if you do not know which way you are facing, you cannot even get past “Hello.”
This way of thinking is important for our relationship with the natural environment. One of the reasons why Indigenous languages are so valuable is that these languages have a very extensive vocabulary of plants, animals and other natural features. This means they can distinguish many of these species and features, many of which (western) science has not even ‘discovered’ or documented yet.
To illustrate this, a National Geographic article stated that in Yasuni, a national park and biosphere reserve located in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, an estimated one million species inhabit Yasuni of which most are still undiscovered (by western science). By way of comparison, only about 1.5 million species of our planet have been documented by (western) science! The Yasuni people, belonging to the Waorani ethnic group, speak Waorani (also known as Huaorani or Wao). The Waorani people likely have many names for local flora and fauna that are specific to their language and culture. They also have a complex classification system for animals that distinguishes between different types of game animals, nongame animals, and animals that are considered taboo to hunt or consume.
Like the Yawanawa language, the Waorani language is considered endangered according to UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger. Like many other Indigenous languages, the Waorani language is isolated, meaning that it is not related to any other known language. In other words, if this language gets lost a lot of the unimaginably big body of knowledge about the natural environment inherent to the language will be lost as well. The same goes for many other Indigenous languages.
Beyond that these languages contain a large body of knowledge, the value of Indigenous languages lies in that the extensive vocabulary to describe their natural environment inspires a deeper connection to the natural environment; being able to distinguish your natural environment through language can make you feel more connected to it. Language is a powerful tool for shaping how we perceive and understand the world around us. When we have words and concepts that allow us to describe and differentiate different aspects of our environment, we can develop a deeper appreciation for its complexity and diversity.
In this way, language literally makes you see differently.
When a language has specific names for different types of plants and animals you are more likely to notice and appreciate the subtle differences between them. This was for example the case with the Yawanawa that could describe the differences between the three differently coloured parrots (that all had a unique Yawanawa name) beyond the different colours. If I were to describe a parrot, I would start with describing its colours, but when the name of the specific parrot already indicates its colour I would start describing different features of the parrot – and so did the Yawanawa people I had this conversation with. Noticing and appreciating more of subtle differences can create a sense of intimacy and familiarity with your surroundings, which can lead to a greater sense of connection and belonging.
In the film Avatar, Jake Sully started appreciating the beautiful nature of the planet Pandora more when Neytiri taught him about the forest’s different species, their unique properties and how they all complemented each other in a united ecosystem – something that is also a reality on our planet Earth. By learning all of this about the forests Jake was opened to feeling a deep connection with it.
It is important to preserve indigenous languages and to learn from the connection with the natural environment they inspire. Yawanawa Chief Isku Kua, whose village I stayed in for a month at the end of last year, has recently opened the Isku Vakehuhu Cultural Center to teach Yawanawa youth the Yawanawa language and other cultural traditions and knowledge. You can donate to the center online or via Isku Kua. The center also hosts foreign visitors who wish to learn more about and experience the Yawanawa philosophy of life. The next time the center welcomes people is end of July for the birthday celebration of chief Isku Kua himself. For more information you can contact either me or Lucie!
My next blogpost will be about another way in which language can make us feel more connected to our natural environment: through stories. This blogpost on the power of stories will be online the 10th of March. Subscribe to the newsletter if you want to be notified when it is up! Stay tuned :)
Comentarios