Introduction / History

The Piraha language has been traditionally referred to as the Mura-Piraha (Everett 1986). This designation obscures the distinction between the Mura language family and the Mura and Piraha languages. The Mura family has no known external affiliates and it includes Piraha and three dead languages: Matanavi, Bohura and Yahahi (Everett 1986).

There are between 9-15 different Pirahã villages along the Maici River. In the dry season, when the river is low and there are beaches, the village locations will increase considerably because they break up into small groups. The Membership of each village is between 15-40 people, with the larger numbers during the rainy season and the smaller numbers during the dry season.

What Are Their Lives Like?

A Mura-Piraha village is comprised of two to three families. A family consists of the father, the mother, and the children. A child may or may not stay living with his parents after the age of 3. Most of the larger villages have a subculture of children, generally ages 3-14, who live together and take care of each other. These children, in general, come from broken homes, that is, their parents have split up and remarried.

Just as there is a geographic tightness in the lay-out of the lean-tos of a village, so there is a strong, tightly knit social network between the members. All members know everything about any given member of the group and each are considered to be close brothers and sisters. The close proximity of houses and the fact that there are no walls, makes each member's life an open book. Nothing is hidden from the other. The concept of a private life is foreign.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Mura-Piraha have a Christian minority, mostly Roman Catholic. For the most part, Christian or otherwise, they depend on their ancient religion for protection and guidance.

What Are Their Needs?

The Mura-Piraha people need protection from outsider who are willing to destroy their drinking water and land. Holding off miners and loggers will only last so long. There will probably come a time when they will need to learn new job skills.

Prayer Items

Pray for God’s protection of the Mura-Piraha people.
Pray for the Lord to raise up loving Christians to teach the Mura-Piraha new job skills when they are forced out of their homeland.
Pray for the Holy Spirit to abundantly bless the Mura-Piraha community.

Scripture Prayers for the Mura-Piraha in Brazil.

References

Anonymous
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/04/16/the-interpreter-2#:~:text=The%20Pirah%C3%A3%20were%20once%20part%20of%20a%20larger%20Indian%20group
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirah%C3%A3_people#:~:text=Pirah%C3%A3%20people.%20The%20Pi