ABSTRACT
EACH family or compound, provided that it includes both a man and a woman, is relatively independent in terms of the subsistence economy, which is based on intensive sweet potato gardening and pig husbandry. Although there are spare-time specialists, they do not possess exclusive and necessary knowledge not available to other members of the community. The Dani of the Dugum trade mainly for nonessential, ornamental, or ritual objects, and for finer examples of materials which are available close at hand, such as fibers or wood. The only important exceptions are adze and axe blades, which must be imported. But otherwise the demands of the basic economy can be satisfied by the woods, gardens, or brine pool close at hand. However, the accessibility of these resources depends on the state of peace. The people of the Dugum have easy access to both field and forest, but the brine pool lies in the territory of a neighboring confederation, and their access to it depends on the condition of their relations with that confederation. T o this extent the basic economy of the household may be considered dependent on the state of the larger group.
