26/01/2026
'The nagi comprises all that one knows (1). It is the capacity to understand. It
encompasses all beings, known and unknown, who have influenced us, including parents, relatives, ancestors, spirits, lakes, rivers, mountains, meadows, and more. I imagine the nagi as a swarm of all the beings who have influenced us, coupled with all the stories they told to influence us. These stories told by all these beings create us. We are the legacy of all of these stories.'
Taken from the paper by Lewis E Mehl-Madrona: 'The Lakota Concept of the Nagi', published in the journal - Etuaptmumk: The Journal of Two-Eyed Seeing
https://etuaptmumk.net/index.php/EJ/article/view/31
In the Just Listening approach we often talk about the 'vertical' voices that are informing of us of all of our stories, and the importance of offering justice to our own stories as they come in relationship to the stories of the person sharing. The coming together and co-existance of these stories creates the richness of the stories that co-exist between and amongst us.
If we do not notice our own vertical voices, we will often act from them and trample on the wisdom of the person who is bringing their narrative to be listened to. This will also feel like we have trampled on our own knowledge, as we 'shut down' the other. Offering justice in listening, to our own vertical voices, offers us the wisdom not to interrupt the invaluable utterings of the person speaking. It offers us the opportunity of awareness of our stories that arise in the relationship with the other. Holding those stories and knowledge they bring, is part of Just Listening as it reminds us to return to the story of the other again and again, whilst also hearing stories in ourselves that had not emerged until that moment.
The description of the Nagi from Lewis (above) is helpful to bring an indigenous knowledge from the Lakota people's knowledge. The language of vertical voices and concept in Just Listening is a western influenced concept, the Nagi is indigenous knowledge. Embracing both allows us to offer justice and shared humanity to origin of these swarms of stories and see through both eyes.
The shared knowledge that exists 'within' both the speaker and listener and between both the listener and the speaker and amongst the many stories that exist in our journeys of being as we come together creates the context to offer listening in a just way and Embrace multiple stories through Listening. This allows both people and all the stories to be valued and creates shared knowledge of our unique and shared stories.
At Just Listening we have been practicing this and finding value in the community through this just process. The knowledge emerges in the interconnectedness that is generated, especially with people in 'psychosis' or other strong human states of being.
Thank you for the opportunity to connect today at
Coyote Institute's Fifth Annual Two-Eyed Seeing Conference today Lewis and Barbara 🙏
