| El EncuentroThis article is about the diversity of indigenous languages in the western hemisphere. The inquiry springs out of an account of a remarkable encounter of Elders, Healers and delegates from 300 indigenous tribes that took place in Mexico in 1993 - El Encuentro Continental de Gente Indigenas. The article uses the Encuentro as a background to explore reasons for the cultural and linguistic diversity encountered by the Europeans as they explored, conquered and settled in the "New World." It proposes that the very diversity of the indigenous languages along with the predicate of "time" in the European languages accounts in large part for the European's success in their conquest. The article stresses that the experiential teachings of the indigenous languages may serve to heal our relationship to the land on which we live. |