Our Earth?

Greetings Family, in the Anishnabe language, which is the largest North American Native linguistic family, there are two ways to say the words "our" and "us". There is an exclusive and an inclusive "us". So for instance, if you say "Nitakinan" it means "our land" in an exclusive sense, meaning this is the territory of "us" people who live around here. But if we say "Kitakinan" or "our land" in an inclusive sense, it means this is the territory that all living beings within it are sharing.

The exclusive "us" and "ours" have lead humankind towards division, conflicts and wars. With the inclusive "us" and "ours" that are lacking in most of our languages, humankind can remember that all living beings share the same breath, we all need pure water, we all walk upon the same Mother Earth who brings us life and she does not belong to us, but we belong to her as she feeds us and keeps us alive and we will lay down in her womb at the end of our journey. It is a time for all of "us" to remember the inclusive "us" and "ours" to bring about a world of Peace, justice, sharing the abundance and balance.

The Anishnabe language has many other specific traits. There are animate and inanimate objects which have different conjugations. For instance the canoe, the paddle, the mocassin, the snowshoe, the drum, the pipe are animate objects: they have a life of their own. There is also a fourth person of the singular when you talk about a relation of someone else.

The Anishnabe people also hold very ancient healing ceremonies and prophetic teachings. I had the blessing to work with them for several years and I was given the privilege to make documentary films on their teachings. The prophecy of the seven fires describing the whole history and destiny of humankind is in itself a very deep and powerful teaching and vision.

If time allows and there is any interest I'll try to develop further on this in a later post. Blessings to all my relations