252 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL, I33 



tinguisliable in a gathering by a stone suspended from his neck, and 

 by a distinct earring which he wore. 



Although the present-day government is influenced, and sometimes 

 controlled, by Chilean provincial and national governments, Chilean 

 authorities recognize the relationship of the cacique to his people, and 

 consider him at least a liaison between themselves and his people. A 

 cacique, today as formerly, presides at meetings of his people, presents 

 their requests to Chilean Government officials, and sets the date for 

 the performance of the tribal religious ceremonial. Formerly, it ap- 

 pears, a cacique could take land from one who had more than he 

 needed and give it to someone who stood in need of it. Formerly, too, 

 offenders were punished by their cacique. If an offense involved per- 

 sons subject to more than one cacique, joint action was taken by the 

 caciques concerned. At present the Chilean Government enforces law 

 and order. 



Today, an Araucanian man who possesses an identification card, 

 which the Chilean Government issues to any man eligible to vote who 

 requests one, has the privilege of voting at all Chilean elections ; a 

 woman holding such a card may vote at local elections, a right of all 

 eligible Chilean women. Araucanian men vote ; no one knew of an 

 Araucanian woman who had done so. Taxes are levied by the Chilean 

 Government on land owned by Araucanians. 



Land, subsistence, and trade. — Araucanians were, and are, land- 

 owners — they are an agricultural and grazing people. There are no 

 villages. Usually, related families live within an area limited by 

 natural boundaries. Within this area land claimed by individuals 

 or families is marked off by fences or natural boundaries. Unclaimed 

 and wooded lands are owned in common. Wooded land is cleared by 

 burning. 



Formerly, each cacique had a record of owners of land in his area; 

 today ownership is recorded with the Chilean Government, and every 

 owner is expected to hold a Government-issued deed to lands he 

 claims. Araucanians today are also subject to Chilean inheritance 

 laws regarding land. Araucanians fear that recent Chilean legislation 

 regarding their land is jeopardizing their ownership of it. 



No Araucanian claims exclusive rights to areas where araucarias 

 grow, or to banks of rivers from which fishing is done, shores of the 

 Pacific where seafoods are gathered, or coves on the Pacific coast 

 where fishing boats are landed and dry-docked. 



Until recent years seeds of wild grass, now nearly extinct, were 

 harvested as food, but wheat was also cultivated. According to 

 Gunkel, agricultural implements formerly used were the wooden bar 



