1953] RITZEXTHALER, CHIPPEWA HEALTH 245 



culture. If a people believes as do the Navaho that the breach of taboo can 

 throw one out of harmony with the forces of nature and cause disease, that 

 awareness is bound to influence his behavior throughout his life much more 

 than the actual advent of the disease. Besides the "shalt nots" are the "thou 

 shalts" which motivate these people to perform many acts of behavior m 

 order to prevent disease. As the Leightons have pointed out, subsistence is 

 actually a more real problem than disease. Yet more of their attention and 

 concern is directed toward curative problems than the other. If, as in Dobu. 

 disease is a result of evil magic, the individual must bear this in mind all 

 during his life and act accordingly, whereas the actual effect of the disease 

 is, ordinarily, a short-term experience. We have examined the sanctions and 

 taboos observed by the Chippewa in their attempt to ward off disease. The 

 advent of disease itself among such a people is, in terms of human behavior, 

 an anti-climax. 



