Chinuk Wawa
Chinuk Wawa is a shared hybrid language that is spoken in the Pacific Northwest.
Chinuk Wawa (or by its English names, the Chinook Jargon or Chinook Trade Language) developed among Native people so they could communicate when trading, hunting or at social events. The many individual tribes had their own distinct languages, but they developed an accessible shorthand based on local Indigenous languages.
While Chinuk Wawa has nothing to do with hierarchies, it is an example of a common language that does not take away from the culture and language of individual groups. Instead, it links together the shared experiences and issues of people who are different from one another.
Common Language
To work across multiple groups and cultures, we need a unifying language that allows us to communicate about multiple issues and with diverse peoples.
Like with Chinuk Wawa, we will not have to give up our own identities, but can add a shared language. This new language does not restrict, minimize, or disrespect the individual communication vocabulary or style of each group.
This common language is built upon our similar experiences from higher and lower groups. We will be able to safely communicate and explore what goals and issues we share. We can also vocalize about what may separate and divide us in words that will avoid the arguments and personal finger-pointing that in the past have kept us from building our teams.
When we speak in a solid unified voice, the opposition will be forced to respond differently than they have in the past. We can expect the hierarchists to become flustered and uncomfortable because they have never had to play against diverse people that talk as one.