There are several prerequisites to profitable observation and recording of culture data. Go where they are. We will never fully understand a culture if we observe it from a distance or on an occasional basis.

We need to geographically get into position so we can see the people, tools, places, etc.

We need to be in position socially as well, that is we must "become a belonger" as Thomas Brewster (author of Language Acquisition Made Practical) puts it. We will never truly learn why they do what they do if we are constantly and obviously reacting to or correcting their actions.

Those things that need changing will be confronted later, after the Holy Spirit has taken residence in their lives. We also need to become commonplace among them. (Many of us remember how the habits of a teacher or boss became so predictable we could be doing what he expected when he arrived.) We must become an accepted part of their life-style, not necessarily one of them, but understood and accepted.

Of course no true understanding of another way of living can be reached unless we first learn the language.

A parallel exists between the work of a police detective and this aspect of culture investigation. We must piece together the bits of evidence needed before we can make good conclusions regarding the motives and reasons behind the actions.

Specifically we need to notice the following points...

• Who are the actors? They can be actual people of course, but could also be animals, spirits etc. We may observe a Yanomamo shaman going through a symbolic raid in his hallucinogenic stupor. There appears to be only one actor, but in the Yanomamo mind, he actually goes to the other village on the raid.

• What tools, weapons, or significant objects are involved?

• What time does the incident take place? (In the springtime, at garden planting, at sunrise, etc.)

• Finally, we need to notice the places or locations where an event takes place. It may not seem significant at first that all the ladies kill their chickens at the same tree, but one may later find that they are making sacrifices to the spirit tree.