The Pirahas and Christianity in Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes by Daniel Everett

Don’t Sleep
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Question 1: Why do we (in this class and in general) study the Piraha?
We study the Piraha for several reasons. First, they are among the fascinating indigenous people who have life concepts that westerners do not recognize. Secondly, studying this group of people helps in understanding and questioning our beliefs. As Daniel Everett’s explanations in the book, the Piraha’s language is thought-provoking because it dictates that anyone learning the language must be immersed in the Piraha’s culture. For instance, Dan reveals how the Piraha people constantly live in the present by lack concern for the future because they had no specific technique for food preservation, and they made only disposable baskets (p. 78). Furthermore, the children in this community are handled as adults, which means that every individual has to take care of themselves from a young age. It this way, it teaches us that the community is self-sufficient and successful (p. 100). Therefore studying the Piraha helps us understand that if we adopt their culture of basic lifestyle, we are bound to find some of the existential answers we seek.
Question 2: Why did Dan’s efforts to convert the Piraha to Christianity fail? How was Dan transformed in the ...