Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-05-04
INDIAN CORN
HISTORY TOLD
BY N. GILMORE
Interesting Discourse Given
at University Convoca-
ton Today,

DR.. Melvin r. Gilmore, curator Of
the State Historical society. and in
charge of. the state museum at Bis
marck. was the speaker at the con-
vocation OF the University Of North
Dakota this morning. DR.. Gilmore
gave a very vital and intensely in
teresting address on ''Thet History Of
Indian Corn" DR.. O.sG. Libby, head
of the department OF history, presided
W the c~onvocation.
DR.. Gilmore is an expert in the sci
entific study OF the relation Of the
native tribes of America to the fauna
and fora of the region. He has been
the tribes OF the northwest and, as the
valley of the Missouri opens a large
an interesting field in, this study. DR..
Gilmore came to North Dakota TO
continue his research here.
Sketching briefly DR.. Gilmore's .ad-
dress, one might say he spoke in part
as follows:
Indian cor is not now considered
so important, here as it is farther
to believe that it may again become
even as an important crop here as it
was once before when it was cult
waited by the former inhabitants Of
this region.
Came From Mexico.
"All proofs go to show that Indian
corn had it's origin in a plateau in
south central Mexico. 1t could have
maintained itself there without the
care of man. 1t was undoubtedly a
wild grass at first and was developed
into its present forms by cultivation.
This took a very long time. AS early
nc 1nn0 IN ~@~v, 1vvo e, os,O<sxyn <4S hsy
the Indians. according to findings of
explorers. In 1900 it. was found to be
under cultivation from Canada down
throughgthe eastern part of North
America. Archaeological research
proves that corn was cultivated in
early times for there are clearly de-
fined races of corr to be found.
ut would be interesting If we could
know how the corn came to be de-
veloped. The wild grass must have
a seeds large enough to be of" use
for food. AS cultivation went on the
Indians say the development and the
variation resulting. The dent corn,
the principal market corn of today,
was developed by the Indians in Vir-
ginia. -
Methods And Tools We're Crude.
1.-THE tools and methods were .!
course at the FIRST crude. The use OF
metal tools did not come until intro
duced by the white men. The Indians
broke the prairie with their crude
shell hoes, and when we think OF
what tremendous toll this involved we
can begin to realize something. OF
what it cost to secure this blessing OF
corn for a e..
1.-The uses of corn among white men
are not as many as among the Indi'
ans. The Indians used it from its
green stage to its ripen stage. TIL.
white man uses corn for alcohol
sugar, oil, rubber substitutes, soap
paper, safety sheathing for ships
fuel, mattresses. mats and bags, to.
bacco pipes, baskets, and score Of
purposes.
For hundreds of years corn ha.
been grown in the upper Missouri
valley: The tribes have taken a lont
time to work it up so far north. i
the white men will. follow their ex
ample and use the. corn adapted t.
this region they will have success"
Reads Indian Songs.
At the conclusion of his address DR.
Gilmore read very effectively some o
the Indian songs which have to d.
with the raising of corn. Especial.
beautiful was the Song for Rain
from the Indians of the dry south
west where cor was grown by irri
cation. Another beautiful song wa!
from the ritual of the Pawnee. +;
ritual which teaches the dependenc,
of the children of the earth on tn
powers Of heaven, and the brother
hood of man. ',' 4
The special music OF. the mornin,
was a group Of trios played by Pro
fessor W. w. Norton. violin; Mis-
Kathryn Harris, cello. and Howard
Patmore, piano. The numbers played
were MY Heart At Thy Sweet Voice,
Saint Saens; "a Sand Dance" b.
Friedman. and "Andantino in A." b!
Paolo Conte. All of these. selectionI
were excellently played and received
enthusiastic rounds Of applause.
DR.. Gilmore is spending a week a
the university. and will address tn,
classes in history. sociology ane