CHERAN: a sierra TARASCAN village — BEALS 



213 



made can a practical program be formulated 

 for Cheran. Anthropological studies by them- 

 selves offer no easy and golden pathway to the 

 solution of Indian problems. The most thorough 

 study of the Tarascans must be ineffective 

 practically if the necessary administrative 

 objectives are not clearly defined. The data of 

 an anthropological study such as this can do 

 no more than offer hints as to the "soft" spots 

 of the culture, the areas in which change can 

 most easily be introduced, as well as the 

 costumbres, the points of resistance, such as 

 ceremonies (not necessarily including religion) , 

 dress, dances, weddings, and death customs. 

 The study can likewise indicate some of the 

 major problems of Cheran, such as the under- 

 productivity of the soil and agricultural tech- 

 nology, the inadequate mechanization, the 

 probable existence of an overly large population 

 to permit any marked rise in economic status, 

 the need of creating new attitudes in spending 

 (for Cheran could finance many public im- 

 provements itself) , the inadequacy of the water 

 supply, the lack of public health facilities, and 

 the shortcomings of the educational system. 



In relation to these problems, further studies 

 are needed in which the anthropologist is aided 

 by technicians in soil use, farming, forestry. 



ally, such studies should be of great aid also, 

 permitting better understanding of the funda- 

 mental limitations on Cheran culture. 



Once a set of definite objectives has been 

 established, the data of the anthropological 

 study will be of considerable use in formulating 

 a concrete program and in developing Tarascan 

 cooperation. Moreover, the introduction of a 

 program in itself, creates changes in the cul- 

 tural situation. The dynamic quality of culture 

 makes it important that administrative pro- 

 grams be accompanied by further study and be 

 flexible enough to adapt to the changing 

 situation. 



Despite these remarks on the practical prob- 

 lems of government in the Tarascan area, it 

 should be emphasized that the present study is 

 primarily concerned with scientific objectives. 

 These objectives happen to be closely related to 

 practical considerations, for administrative ob- 

 jectives in Mexico call for culture change in 

 some measure. Cultural processes and the 

 function and interrelation of the parts of a 

 culture emerge most clearly from dynamic 

 situations rather than from static studies with- 

 out temporal extension. Not only practical but 

 scientific objectives can be served by the study 



and animal husbandry techniques. Scientific- of Cheran culture in transition. 



APPENDIX 1 



DATA ON FOOD PLANTS AND FOOD FROM LA CANADA 



The following data were collected by Silvia 

 Rendon in the pueblos of La Canada, the next 

 valley to the north of Cheran. As the valley is 

 at a lower elevation than is Cheran, some differ- 

 ences are noticeable in techniques and in plants 

 grown. Unless otherwise specified, the data 

 are from Chilchota; although far from com- 

 plete, they are included here because they afford 

 some interesting comparisons, the more so in 

 that Chilchota is a Mestizo town today. 



Plants cultivated: All of the plants culti- 

 vated in Cheran as well as many others, are 

 found in La Canada. Black maize is grown 

 in the fields, rather than in the house lots, but, 

 as in Cheran, it is kept separate in storage and 

 is used only for certain types of tamales and 



atoles. Wheat is sown twice a year ; one plant- 

 ing is in June and it is harvested in December ; 

 the second is in November, in the house lots, 

 and it is harvested in May. Beans are grown 

 more extensively than at Cheran ; the harvest is 

 exclusively by women. 



Among the plants generally grown in 

 Chilchota is amaranth (bledos). The cultiva- 

 tion is not commercialized, each family grow- 

 ing a little for its own use. Amaranth is used 

 by Indians of La Caiiada for making sweets; 

 in Chilchota it is employed in sweets, certain 

 atoles, and in an uncooked tamale resembling 

 a tortilla which is sold in Capacuaro. 



A considerable number of fruits are culti- 

 vated in Chilchota. Mangoes of the criollo and 



