That sounds a bit too much like the 'noble savage', and runs pretty counter-intuitive to the parallels we see back here on Earth. Sentience isn't an 'event'; i

That sounds a bit too much like the 'noble savage', and runs pretty counter-intuitive to the parallels we see back here on Earth. Sentience isn't an 'event'; it's not like some apes woke up one morning a few million years ago, and just somehow knew to make spears and hunt. It happens slowly, starting with the use of naturally occurring tools, like chimpanzees do with sticks, or certain octopi do with coconut shells. Some birds use rocks as tools. Tool use evolves up from there, but if we look at our own species as an example, it probably doesn't ever really stop. The Na'vi are probably more like echoes of human beings at an earlier point in our evolution, with the added property of having an intrinsic physical link to the environment around them. If the ecosystem ties directly into your CNS, you're going to think real hard before engaging in widespread destructive behavior, because you know first-hand how painful the damage is. So things like mining, which gave humans metal, would take the Na'vi longer, because they'd want to find a way to do it that won't cause them a ton of pain. But they'd get there, and since Cameron is talking about sequels, the next installment may very likely show how contact with humans has pushed the Na'vi on to a more rapid path of technological development. And your post really doesn't deserve to be downvoted, so it got a +1 from me. Come on, we're discussing the science fiction in a movie. :)