CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE MODERN TARASCAN AREA—-WEST al 
old smiths, who work at their trade only part 
time, represented the remnant of a once thriving 
home industry. 
The former source of metal for the San Felipe 
smiths is problematical. According to a local 
informant, during the 1880’s ‘“‘planchas de hierro”’ 
were brought in from Cotija, a muleteer and trade 
center having close connections with the tierra 
caliente and the Sierra of Guerrero. This infor- 
mation points to Coalcomén in the Sierra Madre 
del Sur of Guerrero as the principal source of 
iron. Other ironworking towns of Michoacan 
include Irimbo and Nahuatzen. Mestizos in the 
latter pueblo fashion knives and machetes. 
STONECUTTING 
Stonework among modern Tarascans is limited 
to approximately 12 metate makers in Turfcuaro. 
Formerly this village was noted throughout 
Michoacdn for the high-quality metates (iaudn), 
manos (poaékua), and molcajetes (Stiimatakua) 
carved from a fine-grained andesite (¢akaépu 
amiakiti, or “good stone”), found near the summit 
of the composite voleano Kandkuarani (Cerro de 
la Corona) nearby. Since the introduction (ca. 
1925) of the engine-powered nixtamal mills in 
mestizo and larger indigenous towns, demand tor 
new metates has sharply declined.!® 
Metates and molcajetes are roughly shaped at 
the quarry on Kandkuardni and are carried down 
to the pueblo on burro for finishing in the stone- 
cutter’s house. Stone is worked with steel tools, 
e. g. the pick (pikua) and sledge hammer (pikua- 
k‘éri), and is finished with a polishing stone (jand- 
mu). Several sizes of metates are made and sold to 
traveling merchants who pass through the town. 
TRADE AND TRANSPORT 
The structure of trade among the Tarascans is 
not dissimilar to that of most Indian groups of 
central Mexico. Although every settlement has 
at least one store where general merchandise can 
be purchased, most trading is done at the tianguis, 
or market, held regularly in the larger towns. 
Throughout the area professional traders—huaca- 
leros (who carry merchandise on their backs), 
arrieros (who haul products on the backs of 
burros), and lately, wholesale buyers from the 
16t According to local informants, in 1912 practically every family in the 
village made metates. Since that time most of the villagers have turned to 
woodwork (mainly bateas). 
large mestizo towns (who ride in trucks and 
busses) —all serve as distributing agents. 
The market (uasajpikuagu, or ‘‘the place where 
people sit’’).—Sunday is the most important 
market day for the Tarascans.'” Large groups of 
Indians from neighboring pueblos flock to the 
regular markets held in the large mestizo towns 
within or on the edge of the Tarascan area. Since 
colonial times Paracho has been the largest 
Indian commercial center of the Sierra. To the 
south Los Reyes and Uruapan are the exchange 
centers for tierra caliente and tierra fria mer- 
chandise."* A lesser number of Indians attend 
the northern market towns: Zamora, Tingiiindin, 
Purépero, Zacapu, and Chilchota (the commercial 
center for the La Cafada pueblos). Generally 
speaking, each large Sunday market draws upon 
a certain Indian area defined by a walking or 
riding distance of one day or less (map 21). On 
occasion, however, the Pétzcuaro or Uruapan 
tianguis is visited by Indians who live more than 
1 day’s travel away. In the Sierra often the 
entire family attends the regular market, leaving 
Saturday with handicrafts or farm products 
(usually fruit, chickens, or eggs) packed on 
burros, and arriving at the plaza at night.!* 
Sunday morning is a time of brisk trading. By 
afternoon most of the traders have sold their 
wares, purchased supplies, and have departed for 
their respective pueblos. The Lake Patzcuaro 
fishers got to market in boats, carrying fish and 
vegetables to Patzcuaro, Erongaricuaro, and 
Quiroga to trade for maize, wheat, and firewood. 
Lesser markets are regularly held in a few 
smaller Indian towns. For example, there is 
a Sunday market at Charapan, attended by 
people from Cocucho, Urapicho, Corupo, San 
Felipe, and Nurio. On Saturdays and Mondays 
there is some commercial activity in Cheran, as 
professional traders pass tbrough the town going 
to and coming from the Sunday Uruapan market 
(Beals, 1946, p. 80). Again, on Thursdays 
182 An important exception is the Pétzcuaro market held on Fridays and 
Sundays. A minor fish market occurs also on Tuesdays. 
163 Formerly Peribin was one of the largest tierra caliente—tierra fria markets 
in Michoacan, but since the close of the colonial era it has ceded most of its 
trade to Los Reyesnearby. Important fiesta markets are still held in Periban 
however. 
164 Within the last 8 years the pueblos along the Uruapan highway have 
ridden busses or taxis to market. Since 1943 similar transport has been 
extended to Charapan, Zirosto, and intermediate pueblos. Moreover, during 
the dry season lumber trucks haul loads of men and women from some Sierra 
towns to mestizo markets. 
