Hilarity ensued. And that’s the story of how Nushagarak Creek got named on official topo maps. Some day I might tell the story about how I introduced myself to some Yupik people telling them to call me by their word for pubic hair.
LoL, great story!
Drift: I remember reading a similar article, I am paraphrasing the below and may be elaborating the details, but here goes.
The article described some behavioral psychologists running tests on isolated peoples that haven't contacted modern society. It was were rumored that this specific tribe didn't have any concept of the past only future; or they only count up to 5 and other very simplistic but unique behaviors unknown to developed modern humans.
So they went to investigate with science. They developed computerized test equipment and eye tracking with visual scenarios that could have quantitative results not based on words/culture/translations or other subjective observations . When the subject was shown simulations with an object disappearing behind or into things, the eye tracking was showing he wasn't predicting that the object would reappear as someone who had a concept of past might. When he was counting or evaluating rewards on the screens, it would be 1,2,3,4 5, many! and the magnitude of "many" wouldn't matter.
After several weeks of testing, and developing some really good data supporting these unique behaviors, they were getting excited that they had a novel finding to their research. But then one day doing the tests, they heard snickering from outside the hut, and found kids laughing at what was going on. With some investigation, they discovered turns out the tribe just volunteered the equivalent of the village idiot to do the the tests so they could get exchanged gifts/supplies for free but not waste the time doing the tests themselves. When the researchers regrouped and instead randomly picked subjects (with another batch of supplies for exchange) , the tests didn't show these unique behaviors across the tribe.
Not sure if there is a solid point to this story other than humor of the situation! Perhaps don't underestimate or believe you are so superior to others. Especially those you may consider to be "primitive" or inferior. Maybe that's the takeway!