﻿Vol.2] 
  THE 
  AYMARA 
  — 
  TSCHOPIK 
  521 
  

  

  Herding 
  is 
  done 
  usually 
  by 
  women 
  and 
  children. 
  Animals 
  are 
  

   housed 
  near 
  the 
  dwellings 
  in 
  roughly 
  rectangular 
  corrals 
  of 
  dry-stone 
  

   masonry, 
  sod 
  blocks, 
  or 
  adobe. 
  In 
  some 
  regions, 
  temporary 
  corrals 
  

   are 
  built 
  of 
  poles 
  and 
  ropes. 
  Pack 
  llamas 
  and 
  pregnant 
  llamas 
  are 
  

   kept 
  in 
  separate 
  corrals. 
  The 
  latter 
  are 
  not 
  assisted 
  during 
  birth, 
  

   but 
  the 
  young 
  animals 
  receive 
  special 
  care. 
  Rams, 
  and 
  occasionally 
  

   (among 
  the 
  Peruvian 
  Aymara) 
  llamas 
  and 
  alpacas, 
  are 
  castrated, 
  

   although 
  this 
  practice 
  may 
  not 
  be 
  aboriginal. 
  Llamas 
  and 
  alpacas 
  

   are 
  in 
  heat 
  during 
  June 
  and 
  are 
  helped 
  when 
  mating. 
  

  

  The 
  ears 
  of 
  llamas 
  are 
  often 
  pierced 
  for 
  colored 
  yarn 
  tassels 
  that 
  

   serve 
  as 
  property 
  marks 
  and 
  as 
  decorations 
  for 
  favorite 
  beasts. 
  In 
  

   some 
  regions, 
  red 
  ocher 
  is 
  rubbed 
  on 
  llamas 
  and 
  alpacas 
  to 
  indicate 
  

   ownership 
  and 
  to 
  prevent 
  pack 
  animals 
  from 
  becoming 
  sick 
  or 
  

   tired. 
  Occasionally, 
  llamas 
  and 
  sheep 
  are 
  earmarked. 
  

  

  Guinea 
  pigs 
  live 
  in 
  the 
  kitchens 
  or 
  in 
  holes 
  and 
  passages 
  left 
  under 
  

   the 
  platform 
  beds 
  in 
  dwellings. 
  They 
  are 
  fed 
  greens 
  and 
  grain. 
  

   Before 
  being 
  eaten, 
  they 
  are 
  dipped 
  into 
  boiling 
  water 
  and 
  the 
  fur 
  

   pulled 
  off, 
  and 
  then 
  cleaned 
  and 
  roasted. 
  

  

  Sheep, 
  llamas, 
  and 
  alpacas 
  are 
  sheared 
  during 
  the 
  rainy 
  season. 
  

   Sheep 
  are 
  often 
  killed 
  and 
  skinned, 
  and 
  the 
  hides 
  washed 
  before 
  the 
  

   wool 
  is 
  sheared. 
  Alpacas 
  always, 
  and 
  llamas 
  usually, 
  are 
  sheared 
  

   with 
  a 
  flat 
  rectangular 
  knife. 
  

  

  Barren 
  female 
  llamas 
  and 
  old 
  or 
  sick 
  alpacas 
  are 
  killed 
  for 
  food, 
  

   usually 
  by 
  shoving 
  a 
  long 
  needle 
  into 
  the 
  brain 
  or 
  by 
  cutting 
  the 
  back 
  

   by 
  the 
  spinal 
  column 
  and 
  pinching 
  an 
  artery. 
  Cutting 
  the 
  throat 
  

   spoils 
  the 
  tough 
  hide 
  of 
  the 
  neck. 
  Otherwise, 
  only 
  animals 
  which 
  

   die 
  naturally 
  are 
  eaten. 
  

  

  White 
  llamas 
  (and 
  also 
  sheep) 
  are 
  sacrificed 
  on 
  important 
  occasions; 
  

   llama 
  fetuses 
  serve 
  as 
  offerings. 
  In 
  parts 
  of 
  Bolivia, 
  the 
  llama 
  fetus 
  

   is 
  produced 
  by 
  abortion. 
  All 
  llamas, 
  alpacas, 
  and 
  vicunas 
  are 
  thought 
  

   to 
  be 
  owned 
  by 
  a 
  certain 
  mountain 
  spirit 
  to 
  whom 
  some 
  blood 
  is 
  

   offered 
  whenever 
  a 
  llama 
  is 
  killed 
  (Perti). 
  

  

  Llama 
  mating 
  is 
  the 
  occasion 
  for 
  a 
  fiesta, 
  with 
  a 
  rite 
  performed 
  by 
  

   a 
  "white" 
  magician 
  (paqo), 
  who 
  uses 
  stone 
  llama 
  fetishes. 
  An 
  

   offering 
  is 
  made, 
  burned, 
  and 
  deposited 
  in 
  a 
  river. 
  Throughout 
  the 
  

   year, 
  rites 
  are 
  held 
  to 
  increase 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  domestic 
  animals. 
  

   These 
  rites 
  involve 
  various 
  offerings 
  including 
  libations 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  

   the 
  place 
  spirit, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  stone 
  animal 
  fetishes. 
  

  

  Fishing. 
  — 
  The 
  amount 
  of 
  fishing 
  and 
  the 
  kinds 
  of 
  techniques 
  vary 
  

   according 
  to 
  proximity 
  of 
  lakes 
  or 
  large 
  rivers. 
  In 
  some 
  regions 
  

   (marshes 
  of 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Puno), 
  fishing 
  forms 
  the 
  exclusive 
  basis 
  of 
  

   economy. 
  Although 
  there 
  is 
  no 
  formal 
  prohibition 
  against 
  women 
  

   fishing, 
  this 
  occupation 
  is 
  actually 
  confined 
  to 
  men. 
  Each 
  community 
  

   has 
  exclusive 
  fishing 
  rights 
  to 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  Lake 
  Titicaca 
  adjoining 
  

   its 
  territory; 
  violation 
  of 
  this 
  right 
  is 
  regarded 
  as 
  trespass. 
  All 
  the 
  

  

  