(I apologize beforehand to my Nez Perce friends for sharing what, perhaps, may not be mine to share. But it is the poem that came this morning, and I feel urged to share it. Maybe there’s no word for “apology” either, but I’m suyapo, and there are many things I do not know. I am truly honored to have learned the things you have been willing to help me learn.)
There’s no word for “shame” in nimiputimtke.
There’s no word for “blame”,
no word for “should”,
and no word for “guilt”.
Imagine the effect that
Catholicism
and the English language
may have had on the Nez Perce culture.
