Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-20
CHINA IS BELIEVED
SOURCE OF INDIAN
Chinese May Have Discover.
ed Continent, Relics Found
in Canada Indicate.

The mystery of the brass dragon
hangs over the New National Mu-
scum.
This bit of carved brass. green
with centuries, was found in an In
dian grave on the Upper Columbia
this Summer by Herbert w. Krieg-
err. ethnomologist. 1t is a work of
exquisite Oriental artistry. undoubt-
eddy the handicraft of some Chinese
at a high period in the culture of
that race.
But the grave in which it was
found probably dates from before
the coming of Columbus and GER
tainly before white traders had
pushed their way to the Pacific.
Many other graves in the same re-
gion excavated by Mr.. Krieger show
no signs that the Indians of that day
had traded with white men.
Consequently the presence of this
brass dragon. probably a religious
object, can be explained in three
ways.
First. the North American CONT
nent may have been discovered by
a Chinaman.
Second. the continent may have
been peopled almost within histoic
times-that is. a high state of cul
ture may have existed in Eastern
Asia when the first Indians crossed
to Alaska. perhaps bringing this
brass dragon with them.
Third, Chinese traders may have
pushed their junks as far north as
st. Lawrence Island in a distant
past and exchanged objects of art
for furs.
The first two deductions. Mr.. Krieger
says, are improbable, although not
beyond the limits of possibility. The
third Is far more likely, he holds.
Other Objects Found.
Mr.. krieger extended his eXcava-
tons from The Dallas, Greg, north
to the Canadian line, where original
natives had disappeared before the
first white traders came. although he
believes they were the ancestors of the
modern Salish.
From the Columbia graves Mr..
krieger brought back several hundred
objects, including some eXquisitely
carved arrow heads of agate, slate and
obsidian. indicating that the people
had made considerable cultural ad-
vance.
The Columbia Valley, Mr.. Krieger
believes, was the cradle of the Indian
race in North America, so far as
numbers were concerned. His re-
searches this Summer confirm him in
his theory Of the movement of the
Strait from Asia in an indefinite past.
This is his theory:
First came a scattered few hunters.
probably driven to the great adventure
Of seeking a new continent by a game
famine in Siberia. The pioneers did
not extend down the Alaskan coast
at first but went straight up the
Yukon River to its headwaters. This
route offered them much more
plentiful game supply.
Later they descended other rivers,
finally reaching the coast again in
southeastern Alaska.
Thence they worked theri way
south slowly. This progress extended
over centuries and was time OF
frequent battles with starvation. The
numbers remained very small.
But once in the Columbia Val
lety, with It's equable climate and
abundant food supplies. they multi
piled rapidly, although they made al
most no cultural progress. They were
able to live without much effort, to
lay in food supplies for the Winter,
Their numbers increased to the
point where they overflowed and
eventually peopled the entire con-
tinent-their status when the white
men first came.
Alaskans More Advanced.
In southeastern Alaska Mr.. krieger
visited the Kasaan national mont
ment, the site Of an abandoned In
dian village whose totem poles and
split slab houses illustrated excep.
tionally we'll the culture Of the natives
at the time the territory was pur-
chased by the United States.
It has been an ambition of DR.. j.
Walter Fewkes, chief Of the Bureau
of American Ethnology, to preserve
this village. Mr.. Krieger found,
however. that the village was too far
gone for preservation. All Of the
houses had disappeared. Some Of the
totem poles were still standing, but
were so rotten that the carvings
wiped off like dust when touched.
The founding Of this village was
comparatively recent, Mr.. Krieger
found Numerous Russian objects
were found in the houses excavated
showing that the people dated from
the days Of the Russian traders,