Everyone is expected and does contribute to the tribe, unless they are physically unable, in which case the tribe looks after them. They do not obsess about bad events in the past. The Pirahã work hard to acquire enough resources to survive, and will fight to protect those resources if necessary, but do not acquire nor desire more resources than required to survive. The behavior of the Pirahã suggests that the Maximum Power Principle (MPP) may not be a primary driver in all human cultures, as I had previously assumed. The book offered, as a pleasant surprise, some genuine inspiration on how to lead a happier and more sustainable life. In summary then, with respect to support for or against Varki’s MORT theory, I’d say there was evidence for denial of death, but not much else. Perhaps this is a side effect of them living in the moment and therefore having many fewer unpleasant things to deny. I found it difficult to identify Pirahã behaviors that suggested they do or do not deny unpleasant realities. Everett did say the Pirahã bury their dead with the few valuable items they own, which to me suggests they do believe in life after death, otherwise why not keep the wealth for the living? I found it very odd that the author, a former Christian missionary, would discuss almost everything about their culture except their belief, or lack thereof, in life after death. I was most interested to learn whether the Pirahã believe in life after death because this is central to Varki’s MORT theory. The Pirahã have no interest in, and resist conversion to, other religions like Christianity. ![]() ![]() The Pirahã are unusual in that they have no origin myths or well defined religion, although they do believe in spirits, but Everett was very vague on how these spirits influence their culture. The author is smart, articulate, and an engaging expert on languages and anthropology.Įverett describes in detail the Pirahã (pronounced Pita-hah) which is (was?) a rare tribe whose culture has (had?) not yet been significantly modified or subsumed by contact with modern industrial civilization. It was an enjoyable and very interesting read. I read the book hoping to find some evidence either supporting or contradicting Ajit Varki’s MORT theory. Written with extraordinary acuity, sensitivity, and openness, it is fascinating from first to last, rich with unparalleled insight into the nature of language, thought, and life itself. ![]() It is also an anthropological investigation, an adventure story, and a riveting memoir of a life profoundly affected by exposure to a different culture. Over three decades, Everett spent a total of seven years among the Pirahã, and his account of this lasting sojourn is an engrossing exploration of language that questions modern linguistic theory. Everett became obsessed with their language and its cultural and linguistic implications, and with the remarkable contentment with which they live–so much so that he eventually lost his faith in the God he’d hoped to introduce to them. They have no concept of war or of personal property. What he found was a language that defies all existing linguistic theories and reflects a way of life that evades contemporary understanding: The Pirahã have no counting system and no fixed terms for color. Thank you to Perran for recommending it.Ī riveting account of the astonishing experiences and discoveries made by linguist Daniel Everett while he lived with the Pirahã, a small tribe of Amazonian Indians in central Brazil.Įverett, then a Christian missionary, arrived among the Pirahã in 1977–with his wife and three young children–intending to convert them. I just finished the book Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle by Daniel L.
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