Tsawalk, or “one,” expresses the Nuu-chah-nulth view that all living things – human, plant, and animal – form part of an integrated whole brought into harmony through constant negotiation and mutual respect. In this book, Umeek argues that contemporary environmental and political crises and the ongoing plight of indigenous peoples reflect a world out of balance, a world in which Western approaches for sustainable living are not working. Nuu-chah-nulth principles of recognition, consent, and continuity, by contrast, hold the promise of bringing greater harmony, where all life forms are treated with respect and accorded formal constitutional recognition.

Umeek /.E. Richard Atleo's profile page

Umeek (E. Richard Atleo), a hereditary Nuu-chah-nulth chief, is a research liaison at the University of Manitoba and an associate adjunct professor at the University of Victoria. He is the author of Tsawalk: A Nuu-chah-nulth Worldview.

Professor Atleo, a Chief of the Nuu-Chah-Nulth, argues in this book that the principles followed by his tribe would solve the planetary problems such as environmental crises, poverty, lack of education and political crisis. We should treat all peoples and life forms with respect. Trial lawyers practising in this field will be able to draw on and quote what could become legal principles sourcing same in this valuable text.

The Barrister