Becoming a Real Human Being

{50 minutes}

Becoming a Real Human Being

In the Unangan culture of the Bering Sea, when people are asked about their particular talents or abilities, their understanding of the cosmos, they say that it is because they are real human beings. Ilarion Merculieff explains what is means to be a real human being.

Related Practices:

For practices related to Indigeneity, and the Indigenous worldview specifically, see The Origin Story, The Unangan Way, Hawa'iian Traditional Farming, Hawaiian Universal Farmer's Prayer, Responsibilities versus Rights, see Exiting the Language of Domination. For practices related to awareness, see Practice Quieting the Mind, Practice Heartfulness, Owl Ears, Stare Vacantly into the Distance, Vista Views, Tracking, Learn to Make Fire. For practices related to Language, see Building Ropes. See Keywords. See our film, How to Talk to Everything.

Who taught us this?

Ilarion Merculieff is the President of the Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways. He was raised in a traditional manner on the Pribiloff Islands in the Bering Sea, where his people have been living for 10,000 years. The Unangan culture created the most densely populated linear shoreline in North America, and travelled to the tip of South America in their single and double-hulled kayaks. Ilarion's traditional name, Kuuyux, means an arm extending out to the world. He brings ancient Indigenous ways of Knowing into modern times. He is the Convener of Wisdom Weavers of the World, a collective of 13 indigenous elders from cultures around the globe that met in Kauai in 2017 to prepare a message for humanity and continue to work to share the messages of Indigenous people globally. He is the author of Wisdom Keeper: One Man's Journey to Honor the Untold History of the Unangan People.

Who taught us this?

Ilarion Merculieff is the President of the Global Center for Indigenous Leadership and Lifeways. He was raised in a traditional manner on the Pribiloff Islands in the Bering Sea, where his people have been living for 10,000 years. The Unangan culture created the most densely populated linear shoreline in North America, and travelled to the tip of South America in their single and double-hulled kayaks. Ilarion's traditional name, Kuuyux, means an arm extending out to the world. He brings ancient Indigenous ways of Knowing into modern times. He is the Convener of Wisdom Weavers of the World, a collective of 13 indigenous elders from cultures around the globe that met in Kauai in 2017 to prepare a message for humanity and continue to work to share the messages of Indigenous people globally. He is the author of Wisdom Keeper: One Man's Journey to Honor the Untold History of the Unangan People.

Photography: | Licensed from Shutterstock and Pexels.com, used with permission.