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Research memos, Feb. 15 (memos group 1) 3 8

Barry Lyons

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Research memos group 1: please upload or copy & paste in your research memos for Feb. 15 here.

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(https Tejas Karun (https://canvas.wayne.edu/courses/163067/users/119712) 

Feb 15, 2022

Research Memo

To: ANT 3600

From: Tejas Karun

Date: February 14, 2022

Subject: Ecuador Field School -  Research Memo 

I had my first interview the previous day in the evening and I felt that it was a pretty interesting
experience. I was able to connect with my match in San Vicente pretty well and there were not many
issues when it came to connection or audio, so I think WhatsApp is a good way to connect. In the
interview we covered a range of topics although I tried to keep it to a minimum for now. We talked
about agriculture and a little bit about the carnival that’s happening in San Vicente and just about
ourselves. I did not get the chance to meet the other two members of my match’s household but I still
enjoyed the time I spent talking to him. One thing that was troublesome for me (especially in this
meeting because I was alone) was the fact that my Spanish was not the best, so at times it was pretty
difficult to understand what my match was saying. I was able to understand some things at the end
and some things but I know there were several spots where I was confused. I only really had one
interview experience so I do not have too many expectations for the others but I am excited to hear
more from my match and the other San Vicente matches with the people in my group. Already, from
this interview I know that this experience is going to be a good one because I felt that we get along
well. 

We talked about agriculture a little bit and my match mentioned to me about the plague that was
ruining the crops. I do want to learn more about the different types of crops that they plant because I
understood that they primarily planted corn but my match also mentioned cocoa as another plant. I
also want to learn more about the fertilizer and a little bit about the geographic terrain because I feel
that can help with my learning of the land and the different crop types. I think it would be beneficial to
discuss the various terrains. I know it was mentioned in the videos but I feel a refresher might be
beneficial. I also think a refresher of the classes there might also be beneficial. I did not talk with my
match about it but I think that because all of us are starting our interviews, getting a small refresher on
them might help us in terms of the paths we take to ask our questions and when we ask them. 

Personally, going into the interview I was pretty nervous. I had a mini script with me with some
questions but I knew that things would not pan out the way i envisioned them to be so I kept that in
mind. However, after the initial greetings I realized that these interviews were not that stressful (or at
least for me it was not) because I think my match realized that my Spanish was not that good so he
also aided me during the conversation and I think we had a pretty productive one by the end of it. A
question I had, not related to the interview, was if there was a place or resource that details the history
of San Vicente in a learnable way? I did not ask about that in my interview and I don’t want to ask
about it for a while but I was just curious for outside readings. 
Edited by Tejas Karun (https://canvas.wayne.edu/courses/163067/users/119712) on Feb 15 at 5:11pm

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(https Julia Brunner (https://canvas.wayne.edu/courses/163067/users/86579) 

Feb 15, 2022

MEMO

TO: ANT 3600

FROM: Julia Brunner

DATE: February 15, 2022

Subject: Ecuador Field School- First Interview Discoveries

This memo pertains to the first interview I had with Don Humberto Verdezoto Montesuma. The
interview took place Saturday, February 12th at 5:00 PM. During the interview, I learned about Don
Humberto and his life in San Vicente. Don Humberto has known Doctor Lyons for fifteen to twenty
years (note: he referred to Dr. Lyons as “Don Braulio”). He was born five minutes away from the place
he lives now (I could not determine the exact location during the interview due to my level of Spanish),
but he has spent all of his life in San Vicente. Don Humberto loves the beauty of San Vicente, noting
that the people of the village are peaceful and the majority of them work in the fields. He has six
children, five of whom no longer live in the house with him and his wife Señora Narcisa, and one of
them- his daughter (21 years-old)- who still lives with them. When his kids are home, they are
expected to help work in the fields. A typical day for Don Humbert involves waking up between the
hours of 5:30 AM and 6:00 AM, attending the cows and pigs, and then going to work in the fields (note:
he used the word “chancho” for pigs, which differs from the word “cerdo” that I have learned in the
standard variety of Spanish). In the fields, they cultivate corn (maíz), potatoes, tomatoes, and beans,
and the cycle for cultivating is roughly six to seven months (note: Don Humbeto used the word
“frejoles” for beans, which differed from the standard word “frijoles”). Don Humberto also mentioned
the cultivation of avocados in recent years. He described growing corn as a tradition for the San
Vicente people, and he described the different kinds of corn that are grown in San Vicente. The first
type of corn is “maíz blanco” (white corn), and the second type of corn is “maíz suave” (smooth/soft
corn). From my understanding, the former is used to make flour; I couldn’t determine if the latter is also
used for flour. Don Humberto also mentioned “maíz duro” (hard corn, but it is also referred to as
“morocho”), but “maíz duro” is grown on the coast of Ecuador and is used to feed the birds, so it is not
grown in San Vicente. We also touched on the use of chemicals in San Vicente’s agriculture. From my
understanding, there are conflicts with the use of chemicals, because from his perspective, they bring
illnesses. I could not determine if he meant illnesses for consumers or illnesses for plants, but this
topic can be elaborated on in further interviews. He also mentioned the use of herbicides, when
deemed necessary, in order to kill the weeds.

During my interview, Don Humberto expressed his eagerness to help Dr. Lyons with his work; he also
showed patience when I was struggling to form follow-up questions, and he was encouraging when I
found it difficult to communicate or expressed my nervousness. I could understand 80 to 85 percent of
what was spoken, but in the moments where I could not understand, I relied on the audio transcription
for reference and repeated what I understood for clarification. My hope is that my understanding will
improve as the interviews continue, both in my comprehension of the language and my comprehension
of his perspective. After the initial interview, I realized that they are not as stressful as I initially thought.
At the end, I expressed my gratitude for taking time out of his day to speak with me. I didn't want to get
too deep into the agricultural questions, because my goal was to get to know him and what his life is
like, so I did not get into those questions until he mentioned that he worked in agriculture. However, I
hope that the questions I asked didn't "dive too deep" into the agricultural discussion; my main
objective was to both build rapport and create a foundation for further interviews.

Herschel Carithers (https://canvas.wayne.edu/courses/163067/users/174062) 

(http
Feb 18, 2022

Hey Julia,

I really enjoyed your post and appreciate the time you took into explaining the different types of corn
and their primary uses. Really interesting and informative! 

My interview participant, Don Hugo, also mentioned having several kids but only 1 still lived in San
Vicente. I was hoping that he'd elaborate more on what the other kids were doing, but he just said,
"they moved to the city", and I didn't push any further. He was kind of short with some of his answers,
and like you, I was a little hesitant to be too pushy in the first interview. I'm definitely interested in
learning more about what the youth are doing now, what their goals are for careers, education,
livelihood, etc. 

Have a great weekend!

Ryan

Barry Lyons (https://canvas.wayne.edu/courses/163067/users/5395) 

(http
Feb 19, 2022

Hi Julia and all,

Correction and further information re some things I think I said in class Thursday on the varieties of
corn (maize).

Reviewing colors with Sra. Dina after this morning's English class, trying to help her remember
English color words by associating them with objects, I said, "morocho is yellow corn" and translated
for her. She said I was wrong: morocho (hard corn) is yellow, but "maíz amarillo," yellow corn, refers
to something different. She explained: she plants regular white corn in the fields and morocho around
it at the edges of the fields, and they cross-pollinate so that some of it comes out "suave", soft like
white corn, but yellow in color like morocho. This is "yellow corn," "maíz amarillo". I didn't think to ask
her if this "yellow corn" grows on the plants from white corn seed, the morocho plants, or both, or if
there's any difference.

Regular white corn is good for choclo (corn on the cob) and mote (harvested in the dry stage and
boiled, similar to hominy). The hybrid "yellow corn" is good for flour and mote pelado (harvested in
the dry stage and treated with ash or lime to "peel" the skin off the grain, then boiled; this is a sort of
special mote, used for special occasions, and the treatment with lime also adds calcium to it).
Morocho is good for chickens and also, after being "tsancado", a word I understand to mean roughly
ground into large pieces and roasted, used in a kind of gruel with hot milk for human consumption; I
think morocho tsancado is also used to feed pigs. ("Tsancado" seems to come from a Kichwa word
meaning roughly ground.)

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(https Mallory Lund (https://canvas.wayne.edu/courses/163067/users/91921) 

Feb 15, 2022

MEMO

TO: ANT 3600 Class

FROM: Mallory Lund

DATE: February 15, 2022

SUBJECT: First interview

My first interview took place on February 10th, 2022, at 7pm. The content of the interview was getting
to know don Gustavo and his life in San Vicente. Don Gustavo was born in Ungubí and has stayed in
San Vicente for his adult life. He is 62 years old and lives with his wife and has five sons. He farms
mostly corn and part of the time works on the land owned by a friend [details of this got lost in
translation and audio cutting out]. When asked about problems he had seen while working the fields in
San Vicente, he identified wind as one. This was a factor that I had not thought of while doing readings
and learning about agriculture in San Vicente. In my interview notes I noted that I would be interested
to investigate different ways to combat this problem, perhaps a certain way of planting or intercropping
to protect crops from harsh winds. It could also be useful to research wind patterns in Ecuador and any
recent shifts in those patterns.

I was not able to develop the conversation much further due to issues with technology and my own
challenges speaking with a native speaker. But from the amount I was able to transcribe, it was
interesting how many different variations of Spanish words/phrases there are in Ecuadorian Spanish.
While transcribing I had a few moments where I understood every word he used in translation directly
to English, but together they seemed jumbled and disconnected. It will help my comprehension having
to translate Spanish words to concepts or ideas rather than just their literal meaning in English. I found
that I will need an interpreter for my interviews. When we were at a standstill in conversation where we
could not understand each other, it was hard to move past it. Overall, I felt very anxious during this first
interview, but it was a learning experience, and I am hoping to have an easier time with the next.

Herschel Carithers (https://canvas.wayne.edu/courses/163067/users/174062) 

(http
Feb 18, 2022

Hi Mallory,

That is interesting that your interview participant mentioned wind as being an ongoing issue with the
agriculture. I guess when you think about it, it makes sense. I recently read an article about a south
African tribe that planted large trees around their farms to prevent fires from getting into them so
easily. They also mentioned how the trees provided shade and blocked out the strong winds. 

If you ever have the time, check out this video below. It explains how indigenous people have
learned to use the land through what it provides naturally, and what they know to be effective farming
techniques, despite what outsiders may assume. 

https://youtu.be/TgsRnGmI3UU (https://youtu.be/TgsRnGmI3UU)

(https://youtu.be/TgsRnGmI3UU)

 
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(https Holly Tavi (https://canvas.wayne.edu/courses/163067/users/116755) 

Feb 15, 2022

MEMO

TO: ANT 3600 Ecuadorian Field Study

FROM: Holly Tavi

DATE: February 15, 2022

SUBJECT: Research Memo 1: Initial Interview with Sra. Mercedes Vega and Don Alberto Michuy

This research memo debriefs my initial interview with Sra. Mercedes Vega and Don Alberto Michuy, a
married couple living in San Vicente, Ecuador. The interview took place on February 12, 2022 at 3:00
PM. In this interview, my goal was to establish rapport with the informants, learn about their
background and start to discuss some topics related to agriculture. I began the interview by asking
about their family. In this interview, I briefly heard from Don Alberto but Sra. Mercedes spoke with me
for the majority of the hour. Don Alberto is hard of hearing, thus elected to be present during the
interview without being the main participant. Sra. Mercedes began the interview and I asked for their
consent to record. After Sra. Mercedes introduced herself to me, I introduced myself. Don Alberto then
introduced himself. After these introductions I asked Sra. Mercedes to describe her family. She
discussed her children and spoke about how it is living in the countryside. 

After this first interview, I began to reflect on some of the challenges that I faced in understanding
highland Ecuadorian Spanish. At an intermediate level of Spanish, I found great difficulty in producing
a smooth flow of conversation because I was not able to understand what my informant was saying at
the moment. At one point, Dr. Lyons, who was present but was not taking an active role in the
interview, interjected to inform me that Sra. Mercedes had asked a question about my family. In
thinking about this after the interview, I realized that I was not able to recognize that a question was
being posed to me as the interviewer because of my unfamiliarity with the inflection of her voice when
posing the question. I understand that with more exposure to Ecuadorian Spanish, I could become
more familiar with these conversational aspects that go beyond the words being spoken. Furthermore,
becoming more aware and knowledgeable of the Kichwa influences on Ecuadorian Spanish could
better facilitate communication. Dr. Lyons’ announcement “A few quick notes on dialect” helped me to
learn a couple colloquial terms and phrases that I would otherwise be unfamiliar with. Since this initial
interview, I have been thinking about ways to better facilitate communication and mutual understanding
in these interviews with the present language barrier and I think that continuing to familiarize myself
with the nuances of the dialect through reading, learning from Dr. Lyons and experience speaking with
the informants from San Vicente will allow progress in this aspect. 

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(https Breanna Harris (https://canvas.wayne.edu/courses/163067/users/37104) 

Feb 15, 2022

MEMO

TO: ANT 3600

FROM: Breanna Harris
DATE: February 15, 2022

Subject: Research Memo #1; Initial Interview with Senorita Nora Núñez

My San Vicente match is Senorita Nora Núñez. Senorita Nora is a younger resident who was born and
raised in San Vicente. During our first interview, we began with a brief introduction to her and her
family life. It was then that I learned that she has 9 other siblings; some of which reside in Spain. She
is also a mother of 1. Her son is 12 years old and lives with her on a small field where she also does
her work. She was kind enough to give me a quick tour of the field in which she works during our brief
interview. Unfortunately, this was all we had time for during our first interview, but we are both looking
forward to speaking again this week. 

One of my group members was also able to conduct their initial interview as well which I had the
pleasure of attending. Their match was a younger San Vicente resident as well who was also a native
to the area and has siblings living in Spain. One of the main things I have noticed from the interviews is
the specific dialect of Spanish that the natives of San Vicente use. My group members and I had
somewhat of a difficult time understanding what our matches were saying. Not sure if it was what they
were saying, or the speed at which they were saying it. I am interested to see how our understanding
of the language develops over time with future interviews. 
Edited by Breanna Harris (https://canvas.wayne.edu/courses/163067/users/37104) on Feb 15 at 5:16pm

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