﻿938 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  SUBSISTENCE 
  ACTIVITIES 
  

  

  Farming. 
  — 
  The 
  main 
  subsistence 
  of 
  these 
  tribes 
  was 
  and 
  still 
  is 
  

   based 
  on 
  the 
  cultivation 
  of 
  potatoes, 
  which 
  grow 
  in 
  great 
  quantities 
  

   in 
  the 
  higher 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  territory 
  known 
  as 
  Tierradentro, 
  and 
  

   maize, 
  which 
  is 
  acclimated 
  to 
  the 
  temperate 
  and 
  cold 
  zones. 
  There 
  

   are 
  three 
  varieties 
  of 
  maize: 
  sweet, 
  soft, 
  and 
  hard. 
  Additional 
  crops 
  

   were 
  and 
  are 
  yuca 
  or 
  manioc, 
  sweet 
  potatoes, 
  auyamas, 
  ullucos, 
  

   purutos, 
  frijoles, 
  arracacha, 
  and 
  various 
  other 
  vegetables, 
  and 
  a 
  

   variety 
  of 
  fruits, 
  including 
  bananas, 
  guayavas, 
  avocados, 
  papayas, 
  

   pineapples, 
  and 
  passion 
  fruit. 
  Today 
  the 
  Pdez 
  and 
  Moguex 
  are 
  be- 
  

   ginning 
  to 
  grow 
  wheat, 
  coffee, 
  which 
  is 
  an 
  important 
  item 
  in 
  their 
  

   economy, 
  and 
  sugarcane, 
  from 
  which 
  is 
  made 
  a 
  coarse 
  sugar 
  and 
  mo- 
  

   lasses 
  for 
  their 
  fermented 
  drink, 
  guarapo. 
  

  

  The 
  men 
  and 
  women 
  of 
  each 
  family 
  generally 
  cultivate 
  the 
  family 
  

   plot, 
  but 
  for 
  large-scale 
  maize 
  or 
  coffee 
  planting, 
  and 
  for 
  cultivation 
  

   of 
  the 
  lands 
  of 
  the 
  Church 
  or 
  saint, 
  they 
  work 
  communally, 
  and 
  have 
  

   meetings 
  called 
  "mingas." 
  Communal 
  work 
  for 
  any 
  particular 
  

   individual 
  is 
  truly 
  loaned 
  labor, 
  with 
  obligatory 
  recompense. 
  The 
  

   beneficiary 
  must 
  feed 
  his 
  helpers, 
  generally 
  sacrificing 
  a 
  pig 
  and 
  pre- 
  

   paring 
  great 
  quantities 
  of 
  chicha 
  for 
  the 
  libations 
  and 
  nocturnal 
  

   dances 
  after 
  the 
  work. 
  All 
  adults 
  must 
  participate 
  in 
  working 
  the 
  

   Church 
  lands, 
  but 
  each 
  brings 
  his 
  own 
  food. 
  

  

  Implements 
  of 
  cultivation 
  are 
  the 
  digging 
  stick, 
  or 
  macana, 
  for 
  

   making 
  holes 
  for 
  planting, 
  machetes 
  and 
  axes 
  for 
  destroying 
  vege- 
  

   tation, 
  and 
  picks 
  and 
  shovels 
  for 
  removing 
  earth, 
  except 
  where 
  re- 
  

   placed 
  by 
  plows 
  pulled 
  by 
  animal 
  traction. 
  

  

  Domesticated 
  animals. 
  — 
  Domesticated 
  animals 
  include 
  chickens, 
  

   turkeys, 
  some 
  pigs, 
  dogs, 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  horses 
  and 
  cows. 
  All 
  but 
  the 
  

   turkeys 
  are 
  of 
  European 
  origin. 
  These 
  animals 
  are 
  rarely 
  sold 
  or 
  

   killed 
  for 
  food, 
  except 
  for 
  feast 
  days, 
  magical 
  ceremonies, 
  meetings, 
  

   and 
  visits 
  of 
  relatives, 
  friends 
  or 
  distinguished 
  White 
  men. 
  But 
  

   sometimes 
  the 
  Indians 
  buy 
  meat 
  in 
  the 
  weekly 
  market 
  and 
  hang 
  it 
  

   over 
  the 
  hearth, 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  preserved 
  by 
  the 
  smoke. 
  

  

  A 
  custom 
  which 
  has 
  persisted 
  since 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  the 
  Colonial 
  

   Period 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  always 
  giving 
  a 
  guest 
  the 
  "camarico" 
  or 
  "carifio" 
  

   (affection), 
  a 
  present 
  varying 
  from 
  an 
  egg 
  to 
  a 
  chicken, 
  together 
  with 
  

   some 
  potatoes, 
  vegetables, 
  and 
  coffee 
  beans. 
  

  

  Formerly, 
  meat 
  was 
  obtained 
  from 
  wild 
  rather 
  than 
  domesticated 
  

   animals 
  — 
  boars 
  (zainos), 
  guaras, 
  guatines, 
  birds, 
  and 
  guinea 
  pigs, 
  the 
  

   last 
  being 
  true 
  domesticated 
  animals 
  kept 
  in 
  some 
  numbers 
  in 
  the 
  

   native 
  houses. 
  

  

  Food 
  preparation. 
  — 
  Food 
  was 
  cooked 
  in 
  pottery 
  ollas, 
  but 
  metal 
  and 
  

   enamel 
  ware 
  is 
  now 
  often 
  used. 
  The 
  Pdez 
  make 
  "mute," 
  a 
  soup 
  of 
  

   boiled 
  maize, 
  cabbage, 
  squash, 
  and 
  potatoes, 
  and 
  "cocido," 
  a 
  soup 
  

  

  