Principles of Tsawalk

Book excerpt: The word tsawalk, literally one, expresses the ancient Nuu-chah-nulth view that all living things – human, plant, and animal – form part of an integrated whole brought into harmony through constant negotiation and mutual respect. In Principles of Tsawalk, Umeek argues that contemporary environmental and political crises reflect a world out of balance. Building upon his first book, Tsawalk: A Nuu-chah-nulth Worldview, Umeek weaves together indigenous and Western worldviews into an alternative framework for responding to global environmental and political crises and to the dispossession and displacement of indigenous peoples. These problems, the author shows, stem from an historical and persistent failure to treat all peoples and life forms with respect and accord them constitutional recognition. As this book demonstrates, the Nuu-chah-nulth principles of recognition, consent, and continuity, embodied in songs, language, and ceremonies, hold the promise of achieving sustainable lifeways in this shared struggle for balance.