Call number: LD2668 .T4 1965 J14 / Master of Science

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This thesis deals with different aspects of the processes of production of sociability among the Xikrin-Mebengokre of the Catete River, central Brazil. I focus on ceremonies and their performance, as ways of access to Mebengokre conceptions concerning the morality and aesthetics of social life. I analyse the semiotics of 'kin'-ship production, the performative aspects of emotion as a sociability tool, the use of song and dance for the co-ordination of collective technical tasks, and a Mebengokre 'theory of language' as social agency. In the conclusion I focus on the criticism of some of the key theoretical aspects of Ge ethnology, in the light of my previous analysis.

This research examined obesity in a Southwest Native American Tribe by utilizing data obtained from Indian Health Service regarding individuals who used their health clinics. Sixteen cohorts, ranging in age from 3 to 75 years, were studied across the four years of 1971, 1976, 1981, and 1986. This was an exploratory study designed to investigate four areas related to obesity in this Tribe: (1) Weight and height norms, (2) prevalence of obesity, (3) factors predictive of adolescent obesity, and (4) health risks associated with obesity. The results indicate that this population of Southwest Native Americans generally weigh more and are shorter than national norms, which results in significantly greater BMIs. Norms for weight, height, and Body Mass Index (BMI) were established for all categories during each of the data gathering years of 1971, 1976, 1981, and 1986. Prevalence of obesity based on weight and BMI was established for this time period, also. Predictive factors of adolescent obesity in this Tribe revealed several of children's prior weight variables to be significantly related to adolescent obesity. Whereas, variables related to the children's mothers tended to be nonsignificant. The results indicated two health problems are related to adult obesity in this population: diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. In addition, blood pressure was also related to obesity in that those who were obese tended to have higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures than the nonobese. Several childhood characteristics are seen as indicators that children may need preventive measures in order to reduce the chance of later obesity. Future research is discussed in terms of prospective studies which might provide more information about obesity in this Tribe.

This study examines the history of Navajo literacy and its meaning in the lives and teaching practices of three Native American Indian bilingual teachers. The autobiographies of the teachers were recorded in the form of life history interviews and analyzed in relation to an historical account of Navajo education which integrates public documents, archival materials, research in literacy in multi-ethnic communities, and Navajo children's literature. This study includes a bibliography of Navajo language literature from 1940-1990 which has been categorized by title, date, publisher, and curriculum topic.

This investigation was designed to explore Yaqui Indian perceptions of mental disorder. Since little empirical work has been done regarding mental health issues among the Yaquis, this study attempted to provide exploratory descriptive data in this area. The investigation sought to address the following questions: How do the Yaquis describe someone with "mental problems"? Would they include culturally-specific descriptions? Would the Yaquis be able to classify or categorize "mental problem"? Would they differ from other groups in determining whether specific behavior patterns would be labeled "mental problems"? What kinds of help would be enlisted for persons described as having "mental problems"? A survey of three Tucson area Yaqui communities was undertaken using eight members of the Yaqui Health Program as interviewers. Eighty-one Yaquis (20 males and 61 females) responded to the survey (2.8 percent of the enrolled Yaquis in Pima County). The first part of the survey instrument consisted of eleven open-ended questions asking about mental disorder, its cause and treatments available. Five behavioral vignettes (Star, 1955) were also presented and respondents were asked questions about whether the behaviors described mental problems and what might be the causes of such behaviors. Elicited Yaqui descriptions of persons with mental problems were then given to three groups of five sorters each: Yaquis, low SES Anglos, and psychology M.A.'s. These groups were asked to sort the descriptions based on similarity of problem. The Yaquis were found to be relatively knowledgeable about available mental health services. Very few culturally-specific descriptions or folk beliefs were elicited. Respondents tended to identify social, environmental or psychological factors as causing mental problems. Also, with one exception, the Yaquis were found to be quite similar to other groups in labeling problem behaviors as mental problems. The Yaquis did not appear to classify mental problems in a culturally-specific way. It is suggested that interviewer effects may have contributed to these results and that the Yaquis may not be as assimilated as these results suggest.

The development of and changes in human social organization have been a concern of anthropological research since the inception of the discipline. A perspective that focuses on the interaction between exogenous (ecological and historical) variables and social organization is argued for herein. This study tests the idea that inheritance patterns reflect both land use and sociohistorical factors. Further, it is suggested that after their move into the American Southwest, the inheritance of agricultural land was influential in the development, although not necessarily the origins, of matrilineality among the Navajo. Data were obtained on land tenure practices in Canyon de Chelly and its major tributary, Canyon del Muerto, historically important centers of Navajo agriculture. Detailed interviews with 93% of the Navajo families owning land in the canyons provided information on land use and inheritance patterns since the 1880s. Data from over 400 cases of land transfers were analyzed. Historical documents and archaeological studies also provided information on Navajo settlement patterns, changes in farming practices and environmental fluctuations since the mid-1700s. Within the past fifty years, and probably longer, topographic and physiographic differences between Canyon de Chelly and Canyon del Muerto have contributed to variations in land use within the canyon system. Ditch irrigated feed crops are now only grown in Canyon del Muerto, and they are commonly used by families involved in market oriented cattle ranching. Further, as a result of erosion problems, the production potential of some canyon areas, as well as the quantity of arable land, is declining. Not all families are able to meet the increasing need for labor and capital intensive practices that could maximize agricultural production on their canyon land, but it remains a highly valued resource. This research indicates that since the 1880s agricultural land in Canyon de Chelly has been transferred more frequently along matrilineal lines, and the explanations for the differences in land tenure patterns between the canyons over time relate both to ecological and socio-historical variables. In conclusion, it is argued that the complexity found within this canyon system reflects a heterogeneity common to any culture, but which anthropologists tend to overlook.

When the Gila Pimas came into contact with Hispanic culture at the close of the 17th century, they had a relatively stable culture and economy. Subsistence was based on irrigation agriculture, supplemented by hunting and gathering. Except in basketry and weaving, their technology was simple. There were no full-time specialists The social organization was based on the patrilineal extended family, complicated by forms of relationships which cut across family and village lines. Leadership was just beginning to extend beyond the village The interests of the society were focused on curing, social relationships, and agriculture. Hospitality and peace were the two discernible values of the society. During the one hundred sixty years of Hispanic contact, the Gila Pimas were in an advantageous position in their relationships with the Whites. No immigrant establishment was ever located within their territory, and they were valued as one of the defenses of Sonora against encroachment from the north. Contacts between agents of the two cultures occurred intermittently and in an atmosphere of equality, rather than continuously and under conditions of domination. The Gila Pimas were thus never forced to live under two sets of values, and were able to choose what of Hispanic culture they wished to accept. They chose elements which they deemed desirable for their material benefit, rejecting others offered them. Consequently, Gila Pima culture was enriched by the Hispanic contacts, and readiness to adopt new cultural traits was stimulated. The continuity of the culture was uninterrupted, however, and no major reorientation took place, although the development of an orientation toward war was in process. Culture contact under those conditions has been defined as the situation of non-directed acculturation, The response of the Gila Pimas to that kind of acculturation situation was to develop a pattern of adjustment designated as selective acceptance with no major reorientation, and it is suggested that such a pattern of adjustment is only possible in a situation of non-directed acculturation.