It has been my privilege to work with the Kotiria on the documentation and description of their language since 2000. The members of the Cabral family heard in the Last Whispers project were among the first Kotiria I met, and this set of recordings represents my first contact with Kotiria customs and culture. Through the Cabral family, I was introduced to other members of the language community, was able to travel to different villages, and become a partner in wider collaborative efforts to help strengthen use of the language and to document many additional aspects of Kotiria daily life, history, and traditional knowledge. The Kotiria know very well that languages can and do disappear, and they are fiercely engaged in efforts to maintain their own language and to allow outsiders to learn more about who they are through their documentation archive.

In the Vaupés, speaking and being are intimately linked – in sharing their words, the Kotiria allow us into their world and enjoin us to help ensure the survival of both.