THE LEVEL AND COST OF LIVING 



177 



CEREMONIAL, FESTIVE, AND MISCELLA- 

 NEOUS EXPENSES 



Table 69 itemizes a variety of miscellaneous ex- 

 penses in all of which liquor is an important item. 

 The table is readable in two ways; to see how much 

 liquor, incense, candles, etc., are used in the com- 

 mimity, and how much is spent on religion and on 

 life-crisis occasions, etc. It is notable that the 

 alcoholic-intoxicants budget is far greater than the 

 housing budget, and the amount of money spent 

 onliquor is about a fourth of thatspenton clothing; 

 it is more than that for any item of food excepting 

 corn or meat; and it is almost as much as is spent 

 on all tools and household utensils and supplies. 

 The consumption of incense, candles, and rockets 

 is considerable but hardly comparable to that of 

 liquor. It is also notable that pharmacy-bought 

 drugs (including some attention by the pharma- 

 cist) represent more important expenditures than 

 the use of shamans and their curing rituals. 



In calculating the expenditures included in 

 table 69, the use of the sample had definite limita- 

 tions, since many of the expenses are special and 

 extraordinary and not routine for particular fami- 

 lies. Other data were available, however, and 



the total expenditures calculated are based on 

 considerable variety of them. 



Public rituals are those of the cult of the saints, 

 organized and paid for by the holders of office in 

 the political-religious organization of the Pana- 

 jachelefio Indian community. These ofRcials are 

 required bj^ custom to perform ceremonies in con- 

 nection with their offices, and these ceremonies 

 require rather fixed expenditures of food, liquor, 

 candles, incense, rockets, etc., that varj- little from 

 year to year (though in the course of a generation 

 may change considerably)."" Table 70 classifies 

 these expenditures by the occasions and by the 

 officials making them."* It is seen that in any 

 one year the expense is frequently entailed both 



'" It is frequently said that the ceremonies are relatively Inexpensive 

 nowadays— that formerly much more food and liquor, etc., were required. 

 On the other hand It is recalled that liquor wag so much cheaper, and money 

 so much more plentiful, a generation ago that the hardships of officials are 

 now greater than they were. 



'•' These expenses are as of 1936, although some of the data were collected 

 later. In 1938, 1939, and 1940 an additional expense was borne by a group of 

 families who organized a dance for the titular fiesta. The leader of the dance 

 Itemized its cost, with me. and we found it came to $85.30 each year, dis- 

 tributed evenly along 18 dancers. The cost to the community was greater 

 than this, however, for at each of the 20-odd houses where they danced, the 

 dancers were given 50 cents (which could be applied to the cost of the dance) 

 and a bottle of liquor. An informant said, in 1941, that the dance would 

 probably not be undertaken again because the public objects to the added 

 expense of the fleets. 



Table 69. — Ceremonial, fiesta, and miscellaneous expenses, 19S6 



' Table "I. 



' Cash given to girl's parents and usually used for her wardrobe. 

 ' Fee for ringing church bell; ultimate destiny of money unknown. 

 ' Annual average. 



