Activities on the Toluca Valley

This chapter covers the various everyday activities of the indigenous people of the Toluca Valley. Pizzigoni focused mainly on the economic activities. Their day usually consists of maguey cultivation and exploitation, raising livestock and domestic animals, trading in land, hocking and moneylending. She first analyzes the central role that magueys play in their lives. She stated that it was more likely for a woman to declare ownership of a significant number of plants than a man (Pizzigoni, 146). However, women who own large numbers of magueys usually have very few pieces of land. My colleague Erin Wroe mentioned that women in England did not have to wholly submit to a patriarch-led household and could make a living for themselves with little interference. This was also true for women of the Toluca valley as they were also active and involved in economics.

Raising livestock and domestic animals and trading in clothing and land were also a very popular way for income. Oxen, yokes, and cows were often the chosen livestock. What I found interesting was that Pizzigoni mentioned that smaller animals such as pigs and chickens were rarely mentioned (Pizzigoni, 152). However, I would assume that pigs and chickens were also a very popular because they were cheaper than oxen and yokes. Pizzigoni continues on to explain in detail the importance and benefits of their everyday activities.

For the indigenous people of the Valley, it was more common for them to pawn pieces of land for money rather than personal objects. This was incredibly interesting to me as I would have assumed that pawning off land would be the last resort. Personally, I would sell all of my personal effects first before I sell my land. Furthermore, the chapter ended with Pizzigoni ageing that the matter of pawning, selling, and renting reveals Spanish influence on the Toluca Valley.