Evening star., 1923-01-07
Vginian May Solve Mysteries Of Ancient Egypt Of Ameri

mala, which is cooperating in the plan.
1t is in that connection that the
visit of the Indian, the first Of the
primitive tribes ever to leave his
mountain wilds, is of Importance. The
present Guatemalan government has
recently united scientific and political
enlightment to the founding of na-
tional bureau of archaeology, eth
nology and philo1ogy with a national
museum, and with liberal provisions
for welcoming scientific expeditions.
DR.. Gates was invited last summer TO
assume the direction of the national
museum and will superintend the
work of that institution. The gov
ernment is seriously seeking to solve
the racial, economic and educational
problems of the 9S per cent illiteracy
which 1t faces and raising the standards
of life for the Indians in sane and ef-
fective ways.
The problem of all middle America
is "Indianism," DR.. Gates declares,
and its salvation lies in education
and the arousing in these million In
dians in Mexico and Central America
of the desire to become contribut-
respecting and respected.
The Indian Alvarado returned TO
his people with far greater respect
for Americans-who. by the way, find
greater favor among the aborigines
than do any other Europeans-and
for our civilization. While neither
he, despite his rubbing elbows with
u.s. nor his people care much for our
civilization and so-called civilized
ways, the Indian will take back to
them some desire for education, and
this, DIR. Gates hopes, will be the
opening wedge in their development.
Heretofore the Quinches have lived
apart, secure in their rugged hills
from the inroads of culture, their
legends and myths, preserved orally
from generation to generation. being
their only learning. DR.. Gates, how
ever, is preparing a simple primer
for their reading, using Quinche
words illustrated by pictures Of the
common household articles and ma
tural things they see constantly, just
as our own first readers" are. Their
interest in reading and writing, lost
since the decay of the empire of their
forefathers, will be revived, and even
tualIy, it is hoped, their books may be
illustrated with the symbols they
have forgotten, that they may again
return to use. And with that aid, it
! is hoped also, there may be found one
or some who can remember some of
! the learning of old and help to de-
| cipher the rest OF the writing.
y 4 * I:
| NN his farm in Guatemala DR.
" Gates has introduced simple
aids to development, such as the plow
and other farm tools, in the expecta-
ton that their advantage over the
primitive wooden implements used by
the Indians will inculcate in them the
desire to possess. He intends also TO
revive the arts of weaving and dye
ing and cloth making that are being
rapidly forgotten, not solely that the
| existence OF the Indians may be bet
tered, but in order that their wares
may find markets with the white
man and their commerce and industry
| be again revived.
! Finally, with the development of
/ the Indians and their country they
| will not only come to believe that
some at least OF the white race are
still their friends. but that the rela-
tions between those peoples and the
! United States may be strengthened,
! to the advantage OF both.
! 1t has been suggested that the ori-
gin of this race may have been Asia.
| OF course the origin of any race is
mysterious. The Maya of today
| closely resembles the northern In
| dians, as those of South America
/ ethnologically resemble both. Mr..
| Harrington's experience with the In
! dians of both Americas has shown
him that racially they are the same.
/ He found in his recent study. for in
stance, that the Maya word, for water
! is "ha,'' which is the same, with few
variations ranging from "ah' to
| "ha'ch,' as the word for water among
the tribes many miles apart on both
| continents. Their physical appear
ance is similar. he states. with heavy,
| long, black hair, beardless chin.
bronze skin, high. prominent cheek
bones and other facial characters
tics. Their height and development
are also similar.
! But, he declares, there are tribes III
! Siberia today that. If placed in Amer
lea. would be mistaken by laymen
and scientists alike for true American
Indians. There has as yet been no
opportunity to study their languages.
Is there a connection? Ethnologdsts
| declare there is, that the Indians mi
| grated, thousands of years ago. of
/ course, from Asia, by way OF the
Bering sea and Alaska, eventually
finding their way to the southern
continent.
The Indians of Brazil are so like
those found in Florida that they could
| only have found their way to the
| former country by way of canoes
traversing the Caribbean. And GER
tainly Columbus told of finding con-
siderable commerce and travel taking
| that path when he first arrived.
In the midst of this work Harring
! ton made the discovery that clinched
! t., hypothesis when he was astound-
| ed to find shades of intonation caus-
| ing different meanings in Identical
words. The rule was observed to be
exactly like that of Chinese, wherein
information plays an important part.
For a single instance, the word
/ "patan" in Maya, when prc.cunced
path means a headdress. when
pronounced "pataan," with a slightly
broader "a" it means work, service
Another proof OF the sarue OF Gat.T
| work and of the origin of the Ameri-