SECRETARY'S REPORT 89 



Major activities in each of the field offices, and in Washington, were 

 as follows : 



Brazil. — Drs. Donald Pierson, sociologist, and Kalervo Oberg, social 

 anthropologist, continued their research and teaching activities in 

 cooperation with the Escola Livre de Sociologia e Politica in Sao 

 Paulo. Dr. Pierson's administrative duties as dean of the graduate 

 division occupied much of his time. In addition, he gave three courses 

 in sociology and guided independent and graduate research. In Feb- 

 ruary 1951, he directed an intensive course on rural life in Brazil, 

 sponsored by several ministries of the state of Sao Paulo, to about 70 

 persons who are government employees and administrators in various 

 offices. Dr. Pierson continued to develop plans for extensive social- 

 science research as a part of the Brazilian Government's plan for eco- 

 nomic and social development of the Sao Francisco River Valley. 

 This planning came to a head with an offer from the National Com- 

 mission of the Sao Francisco Valley to transfer $27,000 to a fund to 

 be directed by Dr. Pierson for intensive socioethnological study and 

 analysis of the problems of industrialization and settlement in this 

 enormous area. 



Dr. Oberg returned to Sao Paulo in July 1950, via Lima, after a 

 period of consultation in the United States. While in Lima he visited 

 and consulted with Ozzie Simmons, Institute representative in that 

 country. During the fall, and a part of the spring, he gave courses 

 in anthropology as usual at the Escola. During March and April 

 he carried out health-center investigations at Colatina, in the Kio 

 Doce Valley, and Cameta, at the mouth of the Tocantins Eiver in the 

 Amazon basin. A lengthy report covering this work was submitted 

 to the local offices of the Institute of Inter-American Affairs. In 

 April Dr. Oberg represented the Smithsonian Institution and the 

 United States Government in Eio de Janeiro at the Second Annual 

 National Indian Week. At the end of the year plans were being 

 completed to lend Dr. Oberg for a 6-wcek period to the Institute of 

 Inter-American Affairs for additional anthropological work in 

 Chonin, in Minas Gerais. 



Colombia. — Because of the budgetary uncertainties it was necessary 

 to discontinue the Colombian program in 1949. A new memorandum 

 of understanding was agreed upon in November 1950 by the Ministry 

 of Foreign Affairs of Colombia and the United States Department of 

 State whereby it was agreed that future Smithsonian Institution ac- 

 tivities in Colombia would be in collaboration with the Institute 

 Etnologico Nacional in Bogota, directed by Licenciado Luis Duque 

 Gomez, rather than with the Popayiin branch of the Institute, as in 

 former years. Charles J. Erasmus joined the staff of the Institute of 

 Social Anthropology in the fall of 1950 to take charge of this program. 

 Mr. Erasmus has given a general course in ethnography at the Insti- 



