The missionary linguist who lost his faith

Dan Everett travelled to the Amazon to convert the Piraha people. It didn’t go to plan.

Dan was a young Christian missionary, and his talent for linguistics put him on a mission to convert a small indigenous group called the Piraha in the Brazilian Amazon. He had to communicate with them first, and after arriving in their remote village, he got to work cracking their famously difficult language. Over the years he began to understand them, but the things they told him caused his worldview to fall apart.

Presenter: India Rakusen

Producer: Harry Graham

Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else's life and expect the unexpected.

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