2023-11-03
57 分钟If you really want to know, the culture, the history, the spirituality, the ethics, the philosophy, it's all in the language.
And what I think is so ingenious about this is that human beings are hardwired to speak.
So we will put the teachings in an environment, in a medium that everyone has access to, and that maybe you reach a point in your life where you're asking, well, what is it truly love someone?
What is it to be intelligent or to have strength apart and courageous?
And you could look into the word itself.
And for me, when I began understanding that, it felt almost like I could hear the ancestors speaking to me, that I could hear their voice, that we too have had these experiences and we would like to pass them to you.
So have you ever wondered what ancient wisdom might be hidden in plain sight?
What if the key to living a good life was right in front of us, encoded in the languages and stories of ancient cultures that we largely ignore in the name of trying to find the next hack or technology or platform supplement or intervention?
Well, my guest today, James Vukli Kagegabo, a descendant of the Turtle Mountain band of Ojibwe, has dedicated over 20 years to studying, preserving, and sharing the indigenous wisdom embedded in the Ojibwe language.
And James Journey is a really inspiring one.
After being largely estranged from the Ojibwe language, stories and wisdom of his heritage until his mid twenties, this seemingly inconsequential decision led him back to immerse himself not only in the language, but in the rich cultural treasures and deep wisdom hidden within it.
And that quest led him to work on the Ojibwe language dictionary project, recording and translating wisdom from Ojibwe elders and fluent speakers across North America, and over time, uncovering, archiving, and sharing unconventional, yet deeply resonant and powerful insights about what it truly takes to live a good life.
And in his fascinating new book, the Seven Generations and the seven grandfather teachings, James reveals how the Ojibwe notions of truth, humility, respect, love, courage, honesty, and wisdom can guide us all to living a good life.
And youll be fascinated to discover how similar, yet profoundly different these concepts are from western notions.
And his insights and stories and deep passion for his culture and the wisdom that derives from it truly drew me in powerfully and delivered just the antidote our modern souls need to heal and reconnect and rediscover a sense of purpose, meaning, and inner peace.
In these days, it's an incredible offering of everyday wisdom for living a good life with a different take hidden in plain sight within indigenous languages and stories.
So excited to share this conversation with you.
I'm Donna Jonathan Fields, and this is a good life project.
I recently was watching, I guess, something that you were sharing.
That familiarity with Ojibwe language was there younger, but it wasn't actually something that was spoken and truly understood for you until your mid twenties.