On Being with Krista Tippett cover image

[Unedited] Robin Wall Kimmerer with Krista Tippett

On Being with Krista Tippett

00:00

The Power of the Plural Pronoun in the Anishinaabe Language

The word aki in our language refers to land. Could we be inspired by that little sound at the end of that word, the kii? I have some reservations about using a word inspired from the Anishinaabe language because I don't in any way want to engage in cultural appropriation. But having key as a pronoun gives you an option to speak respectfully of the world that you love. The plural is not one that we need to be inspired by another language because we already have it in English. It's the plural of key so that when the geese fly overhead, we can say kin are flying south for the winter, come back soon.

Transcript
Play full episode

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app