Jack D. Forbes points out that today, most of us use the terms “nature” and “culture” in everyday speech, “because we have been taught by Europeans to do so.” He asks his readers to question the true meanings of these terms and the ideology we are buying into when we use them. Through short lessons in word roots Forbes explains the convoluted origins of the words “nature” and “culture”, and using Native American languages offers alternatives to these powerful concepts.
NATURE:
In English, “nature” (from the Latin verb nasci: to be born), came to mean the fundamental or inherent disposition that an entity is born with (bornedness), whether a person or any other living thing. This idea that a person or other things have a certain character can be found in many traditions, but the term became questionable when in came to be applied to the universe as a whole, as the dictionary puts it: “The material world or its collective objects or phenomena…as contrasted with those of the human civilization”.
The idea of borned character pertaining to the overbearing realm of all things beyond the domain of human invention meant that all that is called “nature” has a condition that is predetermined at creation or birth and is not, “subject to self-alteration or learning”. Nature and all things associated with it, including: animals, forests, non-Europeans and women, became objectified as, “that which is acted upon as opposed to that which is doing the acting.” This has been and continues to be a cornerstone of colonial and imperial perceptions of all those they oppress. “The white male, whether as seagoing invader, explorer, missionary, theologian, or white-coated scientist, represents ‘human civilization’ in its long-standing effort to alter…the wild realm of the undeveloped.” (Forbes, 2001)
Although nature has come to refer to primarily the physical and biophysical realms, “Outside of ‘nature’ also seems to be the physical and mental products of human beings, including changes brought about in the physical-biological world by human actions.” The illustration Forbes makes is that of a paved road in a forest not being perceived as “natural” even though it is comprised entirely of “natural materials simply rearranged.” This fragmentation is characteristic of the western mind and deeply affects our ecological perceptions.
In contrast to the anthropocentric ideology of western thought, Forbes says the closest thing to “Nature” from various Native languages is described as the “All Where”. The All where is “a single unity of which we, as humans are just a part, and not the most significant part either” (Forbes, 2001). Many tribal societies look to the ecological world for guidance- taking lessons from the landscape where many nonhuman beings are often the teachers. This exemplifies the inclusiveness of indigenous thought and the presence of wisdom in the nonhuman environment.
CULTURE:
The term “Culture” is significant in that it is closely related to “cultivation.” “The modern idea of culture has shifted emphasis from the process of cultivation to the results of cultivation.” Forbes argues that “Culture” is a static term that misleads us to the assumption that it is finished, complete, whole, and separate from nature. He suggests “together-doing” as an alternative that suggests that “…ways of life are always dynamic and that teaching, learning, and changing are features not only of the human species but also of other living things.”
Together-doing is viable option because it underscores the interconnectedness of All Things and the dynamism of the cosmos. “Together-doing is not limited to humans, even though there are many changes which take place among trees, plants, and other living things that cannot be explained by the ways in which humans and many other animals learn or transmit knowledge” (Forbes, 2001). For instance, we cannot breathe on our own, the act of breathing depends of countless other organisms and forces far from our control. Recognizing this in language can be a starting point for the shift of western perceptions and politics as we yearn for a more ecologically sustainable future for all.
FORBES, Jack D. Nature and Culture Problematic Concepts for Native Americans in Indigenous Traditions and Ecology: The Interbeing of Cosmology and Community. ed. John Grim. Harvard Press. 2001.
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