Transcription
Do not be. Language sounds complex at this point; it is totally incomprehensible. They remain on God. I am reassured when Geo returns the gift of fire. His way is not quite as fast as a match, but is probably more reliable in the damp rainforest. It certainly makes lightning pipes easy. They seem to consume while tobacco heavily. Nicotine may be the most common narcotic used by primitive societies. The first transatlantic tribes found by Europeans said that the white man gave them alcohol, but they got their revenge by giving him tobacco.
As the light fades on this extraordinary day, the two Lumbee fade into the forest. At first, Duty fears that they have gone for good, but they can't be nearby where there are wonders yet to see.
Next morning, it is Duty's turn to visit the two Lumbee. Despite his research, their culture and language remain unknown. Joe Pierre has come to the conclusion that the two Lumbee are just what they seem to be: the living ancestors of modern man. Yet to be convinced, he has questions that need answers. They may have not seen matches or rice or plastic cups, but surely they've seen and heard planes fly by. Maybe they believe them to be Chariots of the Gods. In any case, the two Lumbee are clearly part of what Duty Yeaow calls the fourth world tribes, in the depths of the world's rainforests, that are so isolated they escape both the benefits as well as the burdens of human progress.
As Duty Yeaow writes in his journal, there are very few groups of human beings still living in the 4th world. Some survived in the Amazon; a few others can be found in New Guinea. When the last ones are contacted and moved from the Stone Age into the modern world, from being free and masters of their own destiny to being poor and at the lowest level of our Western society, it is a part of ourselves that we vanish forever. [Music]
In the tribal world, paying attention to your appearance is a survival tool. The Lumbee used bamboo knives to stay well-groomed. The men wore a bone from the cassowary bird through the nose, large necklaces of river shells around their necks, and bird-of-paradise feathers in their hair. They must look their best to attract mates. These people are hunters and gatherers; they survive by living with the environment, not often of it.
But the Lumbee return Duty's hospitality, and Geo shows how they make arrows and spearheads. Then, Jean Pierre gets down to work. As always in this type of situation, he uses a rudimentary show-and-tell session to begin to understand the Lumbee language. "How do you call the grass skirt?" "This." "Either." "I got." "I got." "And the necklace?" "The necklace. Necklace." [Music] "Kamaka." "I got." "Sighs." "Sleep." "Sleep." "Sleep." "I okay." "Okay." "Class over."
They take Jean Pierre out into their forests. Their clothes are made from bark; they serve as raincoats by day and blankets by night. The entire tribe, including the best-behaved children that I have ever met, move in uncanny silence for fear of alerting the game. They know the migration trails of animals and the best time of year to find fish, the growing cycle of the palms, bamboo, wild fruits, and the roots that they rely on. They are always on the moon. The rhythm of their lives is that of the jungle.
For hundreds of generations, life for the two Lumbee has revolved around their eternal quest for sustenance. It gives them no time to create complex art or written language, to develop science or conceive profound metaphysical philosophies; nor has the endless and simplest form of consumerism led to overpopulation, environmental destruction, or the threat of nuclear extermination. They can at least still drink their rivers. But life is short for the two Lumbee; they are stalked by diseases like malaria, long conquered by modern medicine. Yes, we can help them, but at what price? If the Lumbee are brought into the modern world, they will suffer the loss of their dignity and traditions, to live out their days far below third-world poverty levels.
Jean-Pierre has lived this dilemma for 25 years. He believes it is inevitable that these last isolated tribes will be found. He also knows that it is better if they are found by people that care enough to fight on their behalf.