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or anywhere in between, and it can be difficult sometimes to distinguish which system a particular group falls under, but it is a common and useful label employed in anthropological studies (Stiles, 1991).

The Mikea people utilize an immediate-return system. The Mikea live in the Mikea Forest in southwestern Madagascar. The Mikea label is not necessarily an easy one to identify. The Mikea are sub-groups of tow other groups of people. The Mikea-Vezo branch off of the Vezo people on the southwest coast of Madagascar. The Vezos main subsistence comes from fishing and the sea. The Mikea-Masikoro branch off of the Masikoro people on the eastern side of the forest. The Masikoro are pastoralists and agriculturalists (Yount, 2001). The Vezos and Masikoros are also grouped together as an ethnicity under the label Sakalava (Dina, 2001). The Mikea survive off the forest, but each sub-group has a unique relationship with their respective group, as well as a unique culture and dialect.

The staple food of the Mikea is the ovy, which is a tuber, or wild yam. The ovy is usually roasted, but it can be eaten raw. Another Tuber, called the babu, is used by the Mikea for its water content during the dry season. The Tubers are dug up from the ground with a digging stick and wooden hand scoop. Part of the tuber is left in the ground during collection so that it may continue to grow. During the rainy season, which runs from December through March, the tubers become to wet and soft to dig up out of the ground. In preparation for this time of year, the Mikea dry and store the wild yams. Throughout the year, the Mikea also collect berries, nuts, and honey; although they do not build beehives (Stiles, 1991).

The main source of meat for the Mikea is the tenrec. The tenrec is similar to a hedgehog, and is either dug out of their burrows and clubbed or speared if found out in the open. Other sources of protein are tortoises, femurs, cicadas, and occasionally the wild boar. They do not eat reptiles or insects other than the cicada (Stiles, 1991).

As I mentioned earlier, it is rare that a foraging group will survive solely on wild forest products, and the Mikea are no exception. Some Mikea will cultivate maize and cassava, and occasionally a cow or goat is kept. Trade with other groups is more common though. The Mikea-Vezos will acquire fish and salt from their Vezo neighbors in exchange for forest products such as honey and tubers. The Mikea-Masikoro will trade forest products for tobacco,

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