Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-10-23
.AN[R|CAN|S1S MEET
Scientists Discuss Indians, Eos
sis and Other Subjects of
EARLY America
THE FAMOUS LANSING SKULL

THE FAMOUS LANSING SKULL
1t is Not Now Believed to Be That Of
a Man Of the Glacial Period and Its
Finding Sheds No Light on the Early
History Of this Continent - Other
News.
New York, Oct 23-Alfredo Cha
vers Il delegate from Mexico, occupied
the chair at the session of the Inter-
national Congress of Americanists last
evening. He declared that the friendly
relations that have SO long existed be-
tween Mexico and the United States
ought to continue in the vein of scien-
tifc developments.
DR.. w. j. MCGEE, of the National
Geographical Society Of Washington,
discussed Some Fundamental Factors
III Social Organization"
Miss Alice c. Fletcher, of the Pea
body museum, Harvard University,
who for four years has been investl-
eating the ceremonies and ritual OF the
lawnees, read a paper on "A Star
Cult
Miss Fletcher said the Pawnee tribe
was located in Nebraska, that it was
divided into four bands. and that the
IL. tive 1,tra in, "a
certain geographical relation to each
ether. The Skidi band Was divided into
Il number of villages ard each village
possessed certain symbolic articles
which were believed to have been
given to the different villages by as
many different stars. The village OF
the Skidi reflects as from the position
of their stars in the heavens. one OF
the fundamental teachings of the cere-
monies of the Pawnees is the predict
ing duality of the universe. Everything
is either male or female. This quality
was transferred to the shrines. That of
the west was feminine. SO, too was
the shrine of the yellow star at the
which was the first in
order OF leadership. Next in order was
southeast. The leadership then came to
the shrine of the white feminine star
il: the southwest and the black mas
culine star in the northeast. The care
CT these shrines was deputed to a
woman, the knowledge OF its rituals
and ceremonies to man.
DR.. G. A. Dorsey, of the Field Column
bian museum of Chicago, followed with
an account of the sun dance among the
Pawnees. When the coming ceremony
is announced to the tribe the lodge
containing the largest number of affairs
is selected for the ceremony. The re-
hearsal lasts all night. Then the dance
begins and is kept up until eight STAN
Zas of ten verses each are sung.
A pipe filled on top with tobacco and
at the bottom with tobacco and willow
bark is passed around. The whole cese-
mony prepares the fields for the plant
ing of corn. A swan neck and head are
used and symbolic the whole world
over which the swan flies. The fawn
of the Pawnees' version of Genesis to
the effect that three does We're the
Ernest Cronin, the historian, asked IL
the missionaries had not had an effect
on the customs of the Pawnees.
Il do not believe It" said DR.. Dorsey.
THE Pawnees are the most conserva-
tive of the plains Indians"
Leon Lejew, of the College of France
and delegate from that country, occu-
pied the chair at the afternoon session.
The much discussed skull of the
Lansing man" was exhibited by DR..
George A. Dorsey, of the Field 'Colum-
ban museum, who said that he had
visited the cave where the skull was
found, and pronounced it to be a typi-
cal Indian one
DR.. Alex Hedlicfa's paper on the
skull was then read, in which he stated
that he believed 1t to be that of male.
ure and of average strength. 1t seemed
states Indian.
The paper of Professor S. w. Will
liston, of Chicago University, one Of
the eSploiters of the Lansing man."
was read. He said that the skull was
discovered in March of this year by
two sons of Martin Concannon, a farm
err near Lansing. <as., while digging
out cave at depth of twenty feet
from the surface. He expressed the
opinion that it dated back to the gla-
cial ages.
w. s. Holmes, of the United States
museum. said that as the skull was
that of an Indian and asl
they could not be sure Of the period
from which it came, he was in favor of
rot attaching too mucn Importance to
It. He did not think there was justif1-
cation for referring 1T back to the gla
cial period of the Mississippi valley.
DR. Franz BOas, of Columbia Uni
rersity, told of the Jesup expedition to
The northwest and declared that 1T had
the fact that there was a
unity of race between the peoples of
Siberia and the Indians of
northwestern America.
STRANGE TALE WAS MYTH.
Wisconsin Woman Admits Fabrication
in Story of Hold Up and Death.