CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE MODERN TARASCAN AREA—WEST 57 
aboriginal and European products and techniques. 
lost of his modern handicrafts are based on 
pre-Conquest industries (ceramics; wood prod- 
ucts; leathercrafts; metal work in copper; 
weaving of cotton, agave fiber, stalks of tule). 
Except in a few pueblos, European techniques are 
now used in making pottery. In modern wood- 
work the adz and the lathe are probably European 
and cabinet work is practiced entirely with Old 
World techniques. Cattle hide and horse hide 
have replaced deerskin in leathercrafts, but the 
tanning techniques used are possibly aboriginal. 
Although the ancient belt loom is used for most 
cotton and agave weaving, for weaving wool the 
European hand loom is employed. Sleeping mats 
(petates) are woven of tule as they were 500 years 
ago; hat making, on the other nand, is completely 
European. In regard to metals, European tech- 
niques have replaced native methods, and iron 
has of course been introduced. Spanish friars 
and master craftsmen of the 16th century did in- 
deed teach Tarascans many new techniques, but 
in most instances such were applied to long- 
established native industries. 
An interesting aspect of cottage industriesjis 
their ephemeral character. Owing to movement 
of artisan families from one pueblo to another and 
changes in markets and fashions, certain crafts 
disappear in some towns and reappear in others. 
In the last 160 years 37 Tarascan villages and 
ranchos have lost old crafts or gained new ones; 
27 have retained their characteristic trades 
(table 2).% The pottery industry in Santa Fé 
de la Laguna dates only from the last quarter 
of the 19th century, and in 1910 hat making was 
brought into Jardcuaro by a few political refugees 
from Pichétaro. A large number of Tarascan 
towns were famed for leathercrafts (saddles and 
shoes) during the 18th and 19th centuries, but 
now, owing to changes in transportation and the 
rise of factory production, local leather products 
have almost disappeared. Again, the iron craft 
of San Felipe de los Herreros has practically 
vanished, for factory-made articles can be obtained 
more cheaply from surrounding mestizo towns. 
134 Insufficient data were at hand to determine possible changes in home 
industries for 20 towns and ranches. 
TaBLE 2.—WNative crafts in} Tarascan villages ! 
Pueblo 1946 1841 1822 1789 
None. (?) (?) (?) 
Weaving (cotton): Weaving (cotton): Knitting: Knitting: 
Rebozos. Mantas. Men's stockings of cotton Men’s cotton stockings. 
Belts. Belts. thread. 
Tablecloths. 
Woodwork: Knitting: 
Violins. Men's stockings. 
Turned work. 
An vahuan=-= -2o-c== neue Weaving (cotton): Woodwork: Woodwork: Woodwork: 
Rebozos. Shakes, Shakes. Boxes. 
Belts. 
Aprons. 
Tablecloths. 
Arantepacua- -=-.-=--<.-=-=-= Capotes. (?) (?) Woodwork: 
Brooms. Saddle frames. 
Aranza.- === 2222-2282" ---= Weaving (cotton): (?) (?) (Depopulated.) 
Belts. 
Tablecloths, 
Arocutin==.—- sca. sesssese eats None. (2) (2) Petate weaving. 
Atapansa2.22---<cessessse ot None. None. None. None. 
AAI 3= = s22252--2-5> ees Weaving (cotton): (2) (?) Leatherwork: 
Belts. Tanning. 
Weaving (wool): Shoes. 
Blankets. 
See footnote at end of table. 
