Luisa Maffi [part 1]: Weaving together biological diversity and cultural and language diversity
Dr. Luisa Maffi is a pioneer of the concept of biocultural diversity—which is the intertwined diversity of life in nature and culture. In 1996, she co-founded Terralingua (Instagram: @terralingua.langscape; Twitter: @terralinguabcd; Facebook: Terralingua and Langscape Magazine), an international nonprofit devoted to sustaining biocultural diversity. Today, she heads the organization and edits its flagship publication, Langscape Magazine.
In this part 1 of our conversation (stay tuned for episode 280 for part 2!), Dr. Maffi sheds light on the current trends of language and cultural diversity loss; what might be at stake if we continued to try to only address biodiversity loss without at the same time preserving cultural and language diversity; and more.
To start, get a glimpse below into the conversation between Dr. Maffi and Green Dreamer Podcast's host, Kamea Chayne.
“There is a converging extinction crisis of biodiversity and cultural/linguistic diversity. These two phenomena are happening along similar lines, and we think that they are indeed interconnected.”
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This is a conversation on Green Dreamer with Kamea Chayne, a podcast and multimedia journal illuminating our paths towards ecological regeneration, intersectional sustainability, and true abundance and wellness for all. This preview has been edited for clarity. Subscribe to Green Dreamer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app, and support Green Dreamer on Patreon so we can keep the show going and accessible to a wider audience!
On the converging extinction crises:
"[At Terralingua,] we talk about the converging extinction crisis of biodiversity and cultural/linguistic diversity—two phenomena that are happening along similar lines. We think that they are indeed interconnected."
On linguistic imperialism and homogenization:
"Colonizers understood very well that colonization happened, in important ways, through language.
It is a testimony to the resilience of Indigenous peoples around the world that languages and cultures remained within the communities—sometimes even 'underground'—and that reemergence is possible.
The idea that having a common language to talk to one another stands in opposition to maintaining linguistic diversity has long been debunked by scholars of bilingualism and multilingualism. There is no contradiction between having a language of broader communication and keeping your own native language(s). Multilingualism has been the rule, rather than the exception of human societies for a long time.
This idea of monolingualism—one nation, one language—really came with the formation of the nation-state in the 1800s. It's really part of that ideology, but it doesn't have a correspondence in the way things really work. In fact, there is evidence that [multilingualism] gives you a form of mental agility that is highly beneficial."
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