32 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 1 



only on the days preceding a town fiesta. The 

 householder is also expected to work on certain 

 community enterprises, such as repairing roads or 

 bridges and the water system. Likewise, unless 

 he occupies some special position which exempts 

 him, or is well along in years, he w-ill be expected 

 at times to join the ronda, or night watch, which 

 polices his ciiatiel, or barrio. 



Cheriin is miique in its attitude toward visitors. 

 We have already mentioned the general occurrence 

 of fences. These are usually high enough to pre- 

 vent passers-l)y on the street from peering into 

 the house yard. Visitors always knock at the 

 gate or call out, amaouncing themselves. As some- 

 times the imnates w'ill not respond to a knock, 

 the call is useful in getting a response. Unless 

 the visitor is a relative, compadre, or neighbor 



with wdiom especially friendly relations exist, nor- 

 mally the visitor is not invited into the house 

 yard. Conversation takes place at the gate of 

 the yard; if it bids fair to be protracted, the 

 householder may even step into the street and 

 continue the conversation there, closing the gate 

 behind him. 



So far as is known, customs in other mountain 

 tow^ls are similar in all respects except for the 

 attitude toward visitors. In most towns fences 

 are rarer than in Cheran, and the visitor is invited 

 to enter. In Sevina, it is customary for the visitor 

 to push open the gate, pass into the middle of the 

 house yard, and then announce himself. Two 

 Chenin men who accompanied Beals to Sevina, 

 commented at length on this difference ; they were 

 quite plainly shocked at the custom. 



RELATION OF THE TARASCAN HOUSE TO THE ENVIRONMENT 



cherAn 



The wooden house, or "troje," of Cheran is 

 relatively dry but, in the absence of any method 

 of heating, it is uncomfortably cold most of the 

 year, especially at night. The kitchen floor is 

 frequently damp; although it is heated by fire, 

 ventilation is inadequate, and the smoke often 

 uritating to eyes and thi-oat. On windy days, 

 also, drafts whistle through cracks or imder the 

 lower edges of the walls. The masonry-adobe 

 type of construction also presents drawbacks. It 

 is not heated either and, w-hile wind is less apt to 

 penetrate, it is often unsatisfactorily ventilated. 

 Moreover, the dampness climbs up through the 

 walls at least 6 months of every year and into 

 every corner of the room. 



Probably the "frojc," or house loft, can most 

 easily be made unpervious to rodents if it be well 

 built, and if buju'lies of cactus be fastened at 

 strategic points on the outside waUs. Rarely, 

 however, is this true. In addition, the roof often 

 permits entry of birds, particularly half-wild 

 domesticated pigeons, and scarcely ever is any- 

 thing done to prevent their forays on the maize. 

 It is doubtful if the masonry-adobe structure is 

 superior in any respect for loft storage. For 

 main-floor storage it probably is inferior owing to 

 the greater dampness. 



The major insect pests are fleas. In some vil- 

 lages there are also bedbugs. There seems little 

 to choose between the various types of structures, 

 altliough the earthen floor of the kitchen facili- 

 tates the activities of fleas. At certain seasons of 

 the year, aU Tarascan houses swarm with fleas to 

 such an extent that the residents often cannot get 

 a satisfactory night's sleep. 



Apparently, the climatic conditions are not 

 propitious for large iiumbers of houseflies or 

 related species. Those that do exist, however, 

 have free access into houses. Mosquitoes and 

 other noxious bisects are unknown at Cheran. 



In the lack of good medical statistics, it is 

 impossible to estimate the relation between health 

 and housing conditions. Fleas may be respon- 

 sible for the transmission of some cases of tj'phus 

 and perhaps other diseases. Relative to most 

 places in Mexico, however, msect-borne disease 

 is probably at a minimum. Head lice and, to 

 some extent, body lice occur, despite thorough 

 weekly baths, and the crowded living and sleeping 

 conditions in the kitchen must facilitate trans- 

 mission of the insects. 



The most serious health hazards of the Tarascan 

 house probably lie in the damp condition much of 

 the year, lack of ventilation, and close crowding 

 of the inmates, especially at night. These con- 

 ditions facilitate the spread of all diseases trans- 



