If We Had 'One Skin' With the Earth: A Lesson in Language and Connection
How much does the language we speak shape our perception of the world? I've been captivated by this question while reading the work of Jeannette Armstrong, who writes about the language of her people, the Okanagan. Her essay "Keepers of the Earth" revealed how deeply a culture's language can reflect its connection to the natural world—a connection that many of us in the Western world have lost.
A Language of "Continuing"
I was fascinated by the differences between the Okanagan language and American English. For instance, Armstrong explains that their words often refer to a state of "continuing" rather than being rigidly divided into a past, present, or future. Their language also uses natural sounds in place of many of our verbs.
This isn't just a grammatical difference; it's a completely different way of experiencing reality. It paints a picture of a world that is fluid, alive, and in constant motion, just like nature itself.
The Wisdom of "One Skin"
The most powerful concept for me was what Armstrong calls "one skin"—the profound, non-dual connection between humans and nature. The Okanagan language reflects this beautifully, showing how the land and our bodies are seen as interconnected. Being able to see the land and ourselves as part of the same whole fundamentally impacts the way we treat the earth and each other.
It reminded me of something I learned recently: if we truly viewed everything as connected, we wouldn't want to hurt the planet or other people, because we would know that we'd only be hurting ourselves.
This is a lesson I'm taking to heart as I plan my own "earth offering"—an activity to teach children about their deep connection to the world. My hope is that by instilling this sense of "one skin" in them, they'll grow up wanting to take care of the Earth with the same care they give their own bodies.
References
Armstrong, J., & Kanner, A. D. (1995). Keepers of the Earth. In T. Roszak & M. E. Gomez (Eds.), Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth Healing the Mind (pp. 316-324). Counterpoint.
