Taro Cultivation Practices And Beliefs
McKnight, Robert K. (January 1960). Taro Cultivation Practices And Beliefs (Report).
- Has attachment: File:G3LULADB.pdf
Abstract: The paper is part of a subsistence crop series that focuses on practical cultivation and cultural dimensions rather than serving as a botanical guide. Botanical names and agricultural details have been checked with the assistance of the Director of Agriculture and his staff, reflecting an effort at technical accuracy within an anthropological and agronomic frame. The work is issued in two parts, with the present section covering the Western Carolines and a planned companion section addressing the Eastern Carolines and the Marshall Islands. The segment on Yap District draws on an earlier report by Mr. Dai You Kim and has been rewritten and expanded by the district’s assistant anthropologist, indicating both continuity with prior research and the incorporation of new material.
Within this regional scope, the paper portrays taro cultivation as central to life and identity, particularly in Palau where the taro swamp, or mesei, is described as foundational to subsistence and community. It outlines how gardens are systematically organized into several sub-divisions, typically three or four types, each with a distinct function. The smallest unit, known as the ulecharo and measuring roughly fifty square feet, is used for routine cultivation tasks, illustrating the fine-grained management of space and labor within taro fields.
