46 

 transportation costs are high, outside buyers usually pay low prices, and other villages in the area also 

 produce the same crops at the same time. 



Some X-Hazil Sur residents work outside of the ejido for wages. For example, about 5-10 

 men work in Felipe Carrillo Puerto as masons and construction laborers. They earn about $7-10 per 

 day, but the work is part-time. These men live on the ejido and tend personal gardens, however, in 

 order to maintain their status as ejidatarios. In another example, two brothers have completed their 

 secondary education, learned English, and now work as waiters in an international hotel complex near 

 Tulum. These young men visit X-Hazil Sur frequently, but have lost their ejidatario status. Other men 

 have attempted to locate employment outside of the ejido, but generally have been unsuccessful. 

 However, in view of the limited economic opportunities in the area, young adults— more than ever 

 before— are graduating from high school, attending technical schools, and obtaining jobs in stores, 

 restaurants, and shoe factories in the large towns and cities (Thompson, 1974). 



There are two important considerations regarding subsistence and economic activities: One, 

 these activities occur throughout the year (Figure 2-5). For example, after the end of the chicle 

 tapping season a man may switch to logging or gardening, only to resume chicle tapping later in the 

 year. At no time are these people inactive for an extended period. Two, X-Hazil Sur residents usually 

 engage in several activities at a time. For example, a man may weed his garden during the morning, 

 survey potential garden sites, and gather firewood on his way home. 



Subsistence Hunting 



Hunting is no longer an important activity for the majority of Maya Indians at X-Hazil Sur in 

 light of the alternative ways to subsist. Many men, however, continue to hunt regularly and harvest a 

 substantial amount of game (J. Jorgenson, 1990). The nature and extent of this hunting will be 

 discussed in subsequent chapters. 



