Conversation with J,SIṈTEN John Elliott A respected Elder shares important teachings that are intrinsic to his people’s language and way of life. Luisa Maffi     “Our languages are a part of the winds, the rain, the mountains, and all life as it was given. These are our original laws and our sacred connections to

A journey through endangered and minority languages that reveals diverse ways of relating to land and nature. Philippa Bayley and Neville Gabie, with Missinak Kameltoutasset (Marie-Émilie Lacroix) and contributors to Living-Language-Land     The languages we speak shape much of how we understand the world around us, including our connections to land and nature. But

A young Ghanaian muses about his Indigenous identity, traditional values, and biocultural diversity. Abraham Ofori-Henaku   “Ouch!” I exclaimed, after hitting my pinkie toe against the leg of a table that stood idle in my path. I’d been busy brainstorming ideas for this piece, and while at it I paced the corridors of my apartment,

Amid the challenges of the pandemic, communities in India, Kenya, and Canada find a silver lining. David Stringer   Over more than two years of the global COVID-19 pandemic, much of the focus in the media has been on the negative impacts worldwide, particularly on vulnerable minorities and Indigenous Peoples. Yet, paradoxically, as Indigenous communities

Botanical gardens offer a unique opportunity to reconnect with nature in an urban setting. Four students share their experiences. Maria Albuquerque, Jacquie Kwok, Chantal Martin, Hailey Moran, Gladys Runtukahu, Poh Tan, and David Zandvliet     Humans are living unsustainably on earth — over-consuming, changing the climate, destroying biodiversity. All along, we remain psychologically detached

China’s diverse cultures and ancient wisdom offer lessons of reverence and respect for nature. Thomas Hou   China is a land of rich biological, cultural, and linguistic diversity. Although fifty-six ethnic groups are officially recognized, there are many more groups both beyond and within the official fifty-six, characterized by ancestry, language, religion, and culture. These

The search for a sea grain known for centuries to an Indigenous people provokes deep questions and insights. WORDS Gary Paul Nabhan | IMAGES Juan Martín   We come back to the sea, humbly, not with answers but with deep questions. Our eight-meter-long boat sets out into the emerald waters of the Sea of Cortés

A found poem that summons us to respect plants, listen to their wisdom, and learn their names. WORDS AND IMAGES    Lee Beavington   my grandfather was an expert   my father only learned some ……….I know almost nothing we hunt, see, pick, smell, gather, use, boil, taste red sap of the root bladder of

By learning how to swim against the current like salmon do, a woman finds her way back to the source of her language and identity. Daniela Boccassini   As our times’ bewildered becoming keeps unfolding, two simple words from a French medieval poem have accompanied me every step of the way: contreval l’iaue. They sank

A photographer and filmmaker shares a portrait of an Amazigh woman and her story of courage and resilience. WORDS AND IMAGE    İnanç Tekgüç   Hello, I am a photographer, filmmaker, and visual anthropologist from the island of Cyprus. As a part of my craft, I enjoy portraying people of diverse backgrounds. In my most