Abstract
The indigenous languages of South America reveal visions of worlds present, past and future. They are also the vehicle for a way of thinking that unites and engages humans, the forest and living beings in a community. Since time immemorial, the power of speech has been the creative force capable of weaving and transforming worlds. Speech is action and relationship with existing beings. Often, the words that resonate are those of spirits. Discourses on the origin of the world and ritual chants make their voices heard. What do these voices say ? Who are their translators ? How does the poetics of native voices shape these invisible worlds ? What transformative power do ritual languages have in the spirituality of South America's indigenous peoples ? How can we define the attitude of listening and the gesture that characterizes the transmission of this knowledge ?