Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-10
PEOPLE OF ASIA.
Theory That Dwellers on Eastern Con-
tinent Descended From Americans.

Daniel T. Pierce In the Cosmopolitan.
That there was an early racial connection
between the North American and Aslatic
continents. and that the tide of migration
moved from this country to Asia, rather
than in the other direction, as some nave
thought. Is asserted on the strength or
evidence collected by the Jesup North
Pacific expedition of the American Museum
of Natural History. This expedition, which
was sent out at the expense of Morris X.
Jesup, president of the museum. has been
investigating, since 1897, the Oldest remain
ing tribes of both continents. studying their
customs, characteristics and languages
finding out how long each has occupied Its
present habitat and whence it came orig
inally, and ascertaining the probable rela-
tionship of one to another. says MI
Pierce:
THE favorite theory heretofore has been
that the Indian came here from Asia. This
theory is now puset. Many of those, more
over, who held that there was no relatlon-
ship at all between the tribes of America
and those of Asia have recently changed
their views radically and now believe, as
result of the work of the expedition, that
the Indian originated here and spread INTO
Asia Stewart Culin of the University OF
Pennsylvania Is one of the converts. Mr..
Culn has personally carried on extensive
Investigations. For a long time he denied
that there was any connection between the
tribes of the two continents. But at re-
cent congress Of scientists he surprised all
present by saying: I would like to state
that I now withdraw from the position
which l formerly occupied, that there was
no communication between the two conti-
nents. I now feel very sure that some time
in the remote past there must have been
most intimate relations, and furthermore
that the emigrations may have been, not
from Asia to America, but from our own
,arfn
southern islands in the Pacific. Further
more, / believe that the material which
has been brought together will permit a
demonstration to be made to you of this
emigration in the long past and the es-
Establishment of the American continent, not
as the source of an arid and sterile culture,
as 1t Is sometimes characterized, but of a.
living, vital force, which has gone out into
the old world, and has affected the cultures
of historic peoples with whom we are ac-
quainted.'
There are so many different tribes in
northwestern America and IN Siberia, and
they are separated by such vast distances.
that 1t did not seem probable at the outset
that there was any close relationship be-
tween them. Each tribe has its own pc
cular language and customs and is isolated
from the other tribes. Those who con-
tended that there was nothing in common
between the Asiatfc and American tribes
seemed to have considerable foundation for
their assertions. But this was merely a
superficial belief which arose from the lack
of proper investigation. When the members
of the Jesup expedition, after their years of
exploration and study, compared notes.
they found that there was really very
close relationship between the Asatic and
American tribes. Not only do members of
the expedition think that 1t has established
this highly important fact but they are
inclined to believe that the tribes of both
Siberia and northwestern America were
originally one race and that their culture
was Identical and sprang from the same
source"