
Access to this video is a benefit for members through PBS Passport.
Back to Show
In the America's with David Yetman
Whistles in the Mist: Whistled Speech in Oaxaca
Season 2
Episode 210
The Chinantecan people of mountainous northern Oaxaca, Mexico, speak by whistling as well as by talking. We visit their isolated community and see for ourselves how they use whistled speech to supplement—and sometimes replace—spoken speech.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Explore the world's largest freshwater swamp, the Pantanal.

26:46
Learn everything about Francisco Eusebio Kino and the Mission San Xavier del Bac.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
In Mexico's southernmost state, David finds nations apart from mainstream Mexico.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
With distinct Afro-Cuban roots, Santiago de Cuba was once Cuba's most important city.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
More than any other of the contiguous United States, Oregon has been shaped by volcanoes.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
A hotbed of baseball, whalewatching, and a lively carnival, after years of turmoil.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
From a biosphere to a Costa Rican rainforest reserve, scientists observe climate change.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
The Pinacate Volcanic Range on the U.S.-Mexico border has a history of fire and brimstone.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Join researchers in Arizona and the Bahamas making startling climate change findings.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Mexico City’s rich cultural and ethnic history reflects this vibrant Latin American city.

Unlock with PBS Passport
26:46
Amazon oil means prosperity for Ecuador, but benefits for native peoples are less clear.

26:46
Revealing a Havana that was once off-limits, beyond the architectural first impression.