The Pirahã are a remote Amazonian tribe with little contact from
other tribes and the rest of the world. There are only a few
hundred native speakers of this language which is believed to be
only surviving member of the Mura language family (other
languages in this family having become extinct in the last few
centuries). Last night I heard Daniel Everett speak about
“Endangered Languages, Lost Knowledge and the Future” at a Long
Now Foundation Seminar. In their own language, the Pirahã call
themselves Hiaitíilí with a rough English translation of “the
straight ones” (and we are “the crooked ones”). At the end of
the talk during Q&A, Everett elaborated on that saying that they
consider themselves as living in the most beautiful place and
having the best way of life. Others are odd, ugly or “crooked.”
They don’t really have great curiosity as to why someone would
come live with them to study their language and culture. Of
course, he would want to come there: it is a beautiful place and
the river has lots of fis