Nature Talks:
What Indigenous Languages
Teach Us About the Earth
What do some scientists think indigenous language words might help with?
What is a linguist?
What did David Harrison notice the Tuvan language was full of?
In English, we now say “baby” horse for a young horse. What did we used to say?
How do Tuvans show respect for the spirt of the land?
How many lines of a story did one Tuvan man remember?
In Tuvan, what does “ee” mean?
Look at the maps above, on this page. Where is Vanatu?
The Bahnar people live in which country?
Today there are about 7,000 languages in the world. How many may disappear soon?
Learning from Words Close to Nature
Long ago, and still today, many Indigenous people live close to the land.
They know their plants, animals, and places very well.
This knowledge is often found in their languages—the words they use to talk about the world. Some scientists think these words might help us protect the Earth.
David Harrison
One of those scientists is David Harrison. He is a linguist, which means he studies languages.
In the 1990s, he lived for a year with a group of people in a cold, snowy part of Russia called Tuva. The Tuvan people live with their animals and take great care of the land around them.
David noticed that their language is full of words for animals, places, and weather. Their language even sounds like the world around them. It can copy the sound of wind, rivers, and more.
Later, David studied other Indigenous languages in places like Vanuatu and Vietnam.
He found the same thing—many of these languages carry knowledge that scientists do not know. They have been passed down for thousands of years.
He believes that if we respect Indigenous people and listen to what they know, it could help us take care of the Earth.
What Makes a Nature-Centered Language?
Every language comes from a place.
But some languages stay closer to nature than others.
When people live far from nature, they often forget special words. For example, in English, we used to say “colt” or “filly” for a baby horse. Now we just say “baby horse.”
Tuvan is still full of nature words. That’s because the people use those words every day. They live in a tough land where they must know how to take care of their animals and follow the weather.
Tuvans believe that the land has a spirit. They leave food and milk for these spirits. They build little rock towers called “ovaa” to show respect. Their language helps them live in balance with nature.
Living by Listening
When David first went to Tuva, he thought that writing was better than speaking. In his home, people read and write every day.
But the Tuvans mostly remember and speak stories. One man remembered over 10,000 lines of a long story just by saying it again and again. David was amazed. He could barely remember a phone number!
Tuvans also watch and listen to the world around them very carefully.
They know the difference between one goat and another, just by small changes in fur color or pattern. They have words for each one. Knowing which goat is which helps them survive.
Language helps them see and hear more closely.
Words That Follow Rivers
In Tuvan, how you say “go” depends on where the nearest river is flowing.
That’s because they pay attention to rivers when they travel. Even in New York City, David’s Tuvan friend asked, “Where’s the river?” He needed to know it to speak his language correctly!
The sounds of their language are also special. Tuvans can sing songs that copy the sounds of nature. This kind of singing is called throat singing. They believe these songs can calm animals or talk to the spirits of the land.
A New Way to See the World
At first, David didn’t care much about nature.
But in Tuva, everyone talked about it all the time. He started to care, too.
One word, “ee,” means “the short side of a hill.” That’s helpful to know if you are walking or herding goats.
Once he learned the word, he started seeing those hills more clearly. The language helped him see things he had missed before.
Rules for Taking Care
Tuvans have rules in their language about how to treat animals, when to pick plants, and how to be kind to the land.
One word, “xonash,” means a sacred campsite.
The English translation doesn’t explain much, but Tuvans feel strong emotions when they hear it. Their words are full of meaning that helps them live in a fair and careful way.
Other Indigenous Languages
In the South Pacific, people in Vanuatu use the world around them to track time. Their “calendar” is not numbers—it’s plants blooming, birds singing, or weather changing.
In Vanuatu, David met a man named Reuben Neriam.
Reuben could name over 2,000 plants! He knew where they grew, how to eat or use them, and which ones helped people heal. Scientists from far away didn’t know most of this.
In Vietnam, David works with the Bahnar people. They make things like baskets and houses out of plants.
But now, some plants are harder to find because of climate change. This is shown in their art and in the words they use to talk about it.
Saving What’s Left
To protect nature, we first have to understand it.
But how do we count all the plants and animals? Indigenous people already know so much. For example, a group in the Amazon knew things about armadillos that scientists had never seen before. Their stories and words held deep knowledge.
Today, some scientists are starting to listen more. But others still act like only Western science matters. In Vietnam, scientists said they “discovered” new animals—but they didn’t ask local people who had known those animals for years.
A Race Against Time
There are around 7,000 languages in the world, but nearly half might disappear soon. When a language dies, so does the knowledge in it. Even writing it down doesn’t save it all.
David created something called “Talking Dictionaries.” These online tools help keep Indigenous languages alive. They have words, recordings, photos, and stories. Each community owns its own dictionary. So far, David has helped make over 200 of them.
He’s also starting a new center in Vietnam. It will bring together scientists and Indigenous experts. The Bahnar people will decide what knowledge to share. They will be named in books and papers. They will be paid and trained to do their own research. By working together, David hopes their voices will be heard and respected.
Indigenous – The first people living in a place.
Linguist – A person who studies language.
Spirits – Invisible beings some people believe live in nature.
Oral – Shared by speaking instead of writing.
Throat singing – A way of singing that copies sounds of nature.
Survival – Staying alive, especially in hard places.
Deforestation – Cutting down too many trees.
Biodiversity – The variety of life on Earth.
Revitalize – To bring back or make strong again.
Custodian – Someone who takes care of something.
Species – Different kinds of plants or animals.
Endangered – In danger of disappearing forever.
► COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
— please answer with complete sentences
What do some scientists think indigenous language words might help with?
What is a linguist?
What did David Harrison notice the Tuvan language was full of?
In English, we now say “baby” horse for a young horse. What did we used to say?
How do Tuvans show respect for the spirt of the land?
How many lines of a story did one Tuvan man remember?
In Tuvan, what does “ee” mean?
Look at the maps above, on this page. Where is Vanatu?
The Bahnar people live in which country?
Today there are about 7,000 languages in the world. How many may disappear soon?
► From EITHER/OR ► BOTH/AND
► FROM Right/Wrong ► Creative Combination
THESIS — Argue the case that 7,000 languages is far too many and even 3,500 may be more than we need. Let languages die! Let’s all speak English!
ANT-THESIS — Argue the case that losing even one language may mean the loss of important knowledge. Save every language!
SYN-THESIS — Can you bring these two perspective together in a creative way?
