On my way back from Palenque in March, we stopped in Mexico City. When I was asked to do this interview, I had to go back 52 years to remember some Spanish my Quechua and Aymara relatives taught me. When I arrived in Bolivia in March 1971, I could hardly speak Spanish, even though I was fluent in Spanish when we lived in Panama from 1946 -1948.
In Panama, since both my parents were working and enjoying weekends with friends, as young people in love, my mothers, so to speak, were Caroline from Jamaica and Dominga, who was from the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé. They both spoke Spanish and lived with us.
After completely wearing Caroline out in a few months, she "retired." Dominica was 17 and remained my mother when my mother was not home for a year and a half. She was very kind and loving to me, so we developed a deep and loving bond. I still deeply love Dominga, just as I do for my lifelong mother. Dominga was my Hunka Mother.
So, somewhere in my deep brain, there was some Spanish, as I quickly learned Spanish from my Quechua and Aymara relatives.
The challenge of speaking Spanish like a Spaniard is that my Quechua and Aymara elders, Meleton Gallardo and Andres Jachakollo, "Great Mountain," spoke Spanish but in the present tense. I am walking, eating, and talking, as Quechua, Aymara, and most Indigenous languages are verb-based.
Verb-based languages see the world like a motion picture and life as cycles and processes.
English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, and other European languages are noun-based and see the world as a snapshot. Noun-based languages are great for science, but they miss the consequences of thier actions.
One is the left brain, and the other is the left brain. When I first went to Washington, DC, in 1973 to try and prevent the defunding by the BIA of the American Indian Career Center, a residential learning center for 72 Native American Women who were single, divorced, or widowed with 1-3 Children, I had just begun to tell my story of why the Center should not be closed down, the meeting was over. There was no way my story could fit into 30 minutes or so.
That is when I painfully learned, when the Center was closed, that I needed to see the world as a motion picture, with processes and cycles, as well as in snapshots. I realized I needed to fully utilize my brain's left and right hemispheres to better see the world scientifically and spiritually.
Science without spirituality becomes a Frankenstein, just as spirituality without reason becomes fanaticism. I would use the word "religion," but with all the conflict going on within and between religions, it seems that many relatives have forgotten the original Latin meaning, religare, and religio.
From my Indigenous perspective, the essence of the Latin verb "religare," meaning "re-bind," and its related noun "religio," which speaks of obligation, bond, or reverence, reflects a profound understanding of interconnectedness.
This concept resonates deeply with my Indigenous perspective, emphasizing the sacred bonds that tie us to each other, our ancestors, and the natural world.
In Indigenous traditions, re-binding is not merely about obligation or duty but a heartfelt reconnection with the web of life. It is about honoring the sacred relationships that sustain us—relationships with the land, the water, the sky, and all living beings. This reverence for interconnectedness guides our actions and our way of being in the world.
From this perspective, religion is about nurturing these sacred bonds. It is a way of life that seeks to restore harmony and balance, recognizing that our well-being is intertwined with the well-being of all creation. This re-binding is a continuous process of healing and renewal, guided by the wisdom of our ancestors and the spirit of the land.
In essence, to "re-bind" in the truest sense is to live in a way that honors and strengthens the sacred connections that sustain life. It is to walk a path of reverence, respect, justice, and responsibility, ensuring that our actions contribute to the flourishing of the whole community of life.
The difference between noun-based and verb-based languages highlights two distinct ways of perceiving and describing the world. This distinction is evident when comparing noun-based European languages and verb-based Indigenous languages.
Noun-based languages, such as English, French, or German, focus on objects or entities. These languages emphasize things and their attributes. Sentences are often structured around nouns, with verbs describing actions that happen to these nouns. This approach can create a worldview in which reality is seen as composed of distinct, static objects interacting.
In contrast, verb-based languages in Indigenous cultures, prioritize processes, actions, and states of being. These languages emphasize the fluid and dynamic nature of existence. Instead of focusing on objects, they highlight what is happening, how entities are related, and the transformations taking place. Verbs are central, and nouns, when used, often derive from or are closely linked to verbs.
For example, in Indigenous languages, rather than naming a tree as a static object, the language might describe it in terms of its growth, interaction with the environment, or role in the ecosystem. This verb-centric approach fosters a holistic worldview, emphasizing interconnectedness and continuous change.
This linguistic distinction reflects more profound cultural differences. With their noun-based languages, European cultures often categorize and compartmentalize knowledge, creating clear separations between different aspects of life. With our verb-based languages, Indigenous cultures tend to see life as an interconnected web, where everything is in relationship and in constant motion.
These differences have profound implications. Noun-based languages can encourage perceiving the world as a collection of discrete, manipulable objects, leading to a more practical, insensitive, and controlling approach to nature.
Verb-based languages, on the other hand, nurture a sense of respect and responsibility. They see humans as part of a living, dynamic system that requires balance and harmony.
In essence, noun-based languages focus on objects and their attributes, often leading to a segmented worldview. Verb-based languages emphasize actions, processes, and relationships, fostering a holistic and interconnected understanding of life. This linguistic difference encapsulates broader cultural perspectives, influencing how we relate to each other and the natural world.
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"We talked with Grandfather Phil Lane Jr. about the prophecy of the eagle, condor, quetzal, and the hummingbird.
This is a beautiful prophecy for our unity and peace. There is so much to learn from the indigenous communities and their culture, but most of all, cannabis is part of this set of sacred plants.
Don't miss part two, where we will discuss this plant from the point of view of the indigenous communities."