They are amiable, intelligent, and honest. Although they have an ancient history of being headhunters, they are free from arrogance, revenge, and cruelty. The Mech marry within their own tribe and within any of their septs. Women are forbidden to engage in any premarital sexual activity, and any sexual offenses are heavily punished. Husbands generally have great respect for their wives, who have absolute control over the household affairs and are consulted in all family and social matters.
Most households consist of extended families, as the sons bring their wives home after marriage.
Fathers are responsible for training their sons in economic skills, and mothers train their daughters in household duties. Now, however, with growing populations in the region, they have become permanent farmers, using bulls and plows in their cultivation of the soil. Rice is their principal cash crop, but they are experts in growing the areaca nut and betel leaves, two powerful stimulants. Recently, they have begun to grow maize as an additional food supplement. Harvests cannot be fruitful, they believe, without first worshipping the Great Mother through offering an animal sacrifice and performing the ritual dance.