New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-23
THE INDIANS OF AMERICA.
pEsEARcHEs OF MAJOR POWELL.


dians. He urged that an appropriation of $4,000
be made for carrying on these researches during the
next fiscal year.
This is work in which Major Powell has been en-
gagged for the past ten years. During this time
numerous publications have been made and large
collections have been deposited in the National
Museum, but no adequate idea Of the extent or i'm
portance of what has already been accomplished IS
| afforded by them. The former have been mostly OF
n preliminary character, hardly more than specl-
men pages of the great mass of information that has
been gathered. The latter have thus far been ex'
hibited only in part for want of a proper museum
building.
The plan of the work, as it has now been laid out,
is very comprchensive 1t embraces not only a dis
cussion of the manners and customs of the Indians,
| their languages religions, etc., but also history OF
all the tribes as far rs it can be traced, and de-
tailed account of the dealings Of the white people
with the abOriginps from the first settlement OF the
| country down to the present time. To show that
this work merits the generous consideration OF Con
crcss shall give in this letter an outline OF what
| the Bureau has already accomplished and OF what
| il proposes to do in the future
PRFLnINAEY WORK ~ TIE LIBRARIES
! Major Powell found early in his investigations
| that certain preliminary work would have TO be
done In order to trace each separate tribe through
all il, migrltiors to it's present home to its analga-
! nation with other tribes or TO its extinction, the
first thing 20 be done the preparation OF COM
| pete photography of the literature relating to
/ the North American Indians. Upon this work
| Mr. j. c. PIlliug was employed. lie first
arranged an analytical catalogue OF au-
| thors who had written about the Indians
| entering their names alphabetically upon cards.
This catalogue covcTs all works on the subject con-
| tanned in the library of Congress and in all the
] 4 in nj pr ri a
well as in several of the best foreign Libraries.
From this catalogue a second one is now being pre-
barred in which the subdivisions Of the subject are
| cla>s.d and arranged alphabetically under the
| head If each Linguistic stock. These catalogues
! form key to the literature relating to the North
! American Indians and max" ii possible to pursue
! the investigations proposed with the greatest
economy of time and lalor. For instance, if it is
dcs red ~ discuss the burial customs of one of the
tribes belonging 90 tie great Dakota stock. brief
study of tins catalogue will dscOS, all the material
that is a,ccs, iblc on the subject 1t would be the
! work OF months OF years to obtain tie same IN
| formation hy original research
Closely connected with the work just described
il the synouomy OF the Indian tribes, which Major
Powell has caused to be prepared rs aseparatc
! branch The names of the tribes are arranged al
phabrtic,lly on separate cards; and on each card
aIe gwen the linguistic stock to which the tribe
uamcd belongs, and all the different names under
hich it has been known. OF course there arc as
many cross references there are Synonymous
names
These several catalOlUcs were originally prepared
for The use of the oGcr and not with view to their
! publir!tlon Lat since they have approached com
lctipn there has been SO great a demand for them
from scientific men interested in the ethnoIcgy OF
tlr IgGilu- that il is not ~ all unlikely that they
may be printed
Another important preliminary work has been
tcuIcperation of atlas showing, rs far rs can be
a.ccrtaiucd the location OF all Indian tribes when
tine continent first occupied by Europeans; the
! subdivisions of the linguistic stocks; the points
where villages are known 10 have existed; all ces-
sions Of land made by the Indians to the cOloniss
and the United States with reference to the treaties
! hv winch these ccssous we're made; all removals Of
tribes. SEr' her voluntary or not the points where
! schools have been cstab'isId or agriculture has
! been engaged in; and the localities in which the
/ breeds have become mixed by iutermaTage by
tlr skIlfu usr of coors these maps will convey at
a glance a great amount Of valuable information
which could otherwise be obtained only by long
ard tedious study. The worth Of the maps will be
! fully appreciated by all WHO arc familiar with the
colord maps of the last census report, and of Gen
cra Walkers excellent sat steal atlas. This
branch OF the work has been really only begun but
enough has already been accomplished to show how
important il is that it shall not be interrupted.
The material for u Legislative history Of the
Indian race has nearly all been obtained. Copies
Of all reports treaties, and official documents of
every character relating 10 the subject have been
collected and carefully cataogncd. An index of
all laws touching The Indians has been prepared.
similar index of all debates on the subject III Con-
prrsS since the adoption of the Constitution OF the
| United state, il contemplated All the work thus
far described has been done. or is IN progress IN the
| EthuOgnpc Bureau I'm this CITY,
WORK on INDIAN LANGUAGES.
very important branch of Major POwelps work
relates to the languages of the Indians. The ounda
ton for an effective study of these is, of course,
| complete photography of North American
| linqlstics. aud this has been prepared. The diff
ferent Indian languages are divided for the purpose
of study into two classes those of which 1t is pos
sible to construct tOleraby complete grammaTs ami
yocabuarics, and those Of which chrcstomathy
only will be attempted The investigation of this
branch of the subject has already resulted in the
collection of at least $50 translated words OF the
| language of every tribe known except two At
lenst 800 words in all have been secured of all tho
tribes except four or FIVE Between fifty and sixty
full dictionaries and grammars have been con-
sructed, in many eases the number of words III each
being counted by thousands. The Ponca dictionary,
which has been completed, contains 10000 words.
Major Powell will publish no single vocabularles.
In cases in winch is possible to obtain pretty full
knowledge of q language, examples of Indian liter
allure, traditions, stories, myths, rs taken down
from the lips OF the Indians, are reproduced in the
original language, with English internear
translation Then a free translation Is given, i'll
which English dioms substituted for those of
the Ind ans. These are supplemented with COM
| plete grammar and dictionary. In the chresto-
mathies full directions are given to the investiga
tor for the construction of alphabet Of the lam
guage he proposes to study. These are followed by
lists of English words phrases and sentences, the
| equivalents Of which occur most frequently in tho