Part 1

[This e-text includes characters that will only display in UTF-8 (Unicode) text readers:

Ē ā ē ī ō ū (vowel with macron or “long” mark) Ă Ĕ Ĭ ă ĕ ĭ ŏ (vowel with breve or “short” mark) Ś ś ć (s, c with “acute”: mainly in Recording Indian Languages article) ⁿ (small raised n, representing nasalized vowel) ɔ ʞ ʇ (inverted letters) ‖ (double vertical line

There are also a handful of Greek words.

Some compromises were made to accommodate font availability:

The ordinary “cents” sign ¢ was used in place of the correct form ȼ, and bracketed [¢] represents the capital letter Ȼ. Turned c is represented by ɔ (technically an open o). Bracketed [K] and [T] represent upside-down (turned) capital K and T. Inverted V (described in text) is represented by the Greek letter Λ.

If your computer has a more appropriate character, feel free to replace letters globally.

Syllable stress is represented by an acute accent either on the main vówel or after the syl´lable; inconsistencies are unchanged. Except for special characters noted above, and obvious insertions such as [Illustration] and [Footnote], brackets are in the original. Note that in the Sign Language article, hand positions identified by letter (A, B ... W, Y) are descriptive; they do not represent a “finger alphabet”.

Italics are shown with _lines_. Boldface (rare) is shown with +marks+; in some articles the same notation is used for +small capitals+.

The First Annual Report includes ten “Accompanying Papers”, all available from Project Gutenberg as individual e-texts. Except for Yarrow’s “Mortuary Customs”, updated shortly before the present text, the separate articles were released between late 2005 and late 2007. For this combined e-text they have been re-formatted for consistency. Some articles have been further modified to include specialized characters shown above, and a few more typographical errors have been corrected.

For consistency with later Annual Reports, a full List of Illustrations has been added after the Table of Contents, and each article has been given its own Table of Contents. In the original, the Contents were printed _only_ at the beginning of the volume, and Illustrations were listed _only_ with their respective articles.

Errors and inconsistencies are listed separately at the end of each article and after the combined Index. Differences in punctuation or hyphenization between the Table of Contents, Index, or List of Illustrations, and the item itself, are not noted.]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT

of the

BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY

to the

Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution

1879-’80

by

J. W. POWELL Director

[Illustration]

WASHINGTON Government Printing Office 1881

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, Bureau of Ethnology, _Washington, D.C., July, 1880._

Prof. SPENCER F. BAIRD, _Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution_, _Washington, D.C._:

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith the first annual report of the operations of the Bureau of Ethnology.

By act of Congress, an appropriation was made to continue researches in North American anthropology, the general direction of which was confided to yourself. As chief executive officer of the Smithsonian Institution, you entrusted to me the immediate control of the affairs of the Bureau. This report, with its appended papers, is designed to exhibit the methods and results of my administration of this trust.

If any measure of success has been attained, it is largely due to general instructions received from yourself and the advice you have ever patiently given me on all matters of importance.

I am indebted to my assistants, whose labors are delineated in the report, for their industry; hearty co-operation, and enthusiastic love of the science. Only through their zeal have your plans been executed.

Much assistance has been rendered the Bureau by a large body of scientific men engaged in the study of anthropology, some of whose names have been mentioned in the report and accompanying papers, and others will be put on record when the subject-matter of their writings is fully published.

I am, with respect, your obedient servant,

J. W. POWELL.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. Page.

Introductory xi Bibliography of North American philology, by J. C. Pilling xv Linguistic and other anthropologic researches, by J. O. Dorsey xvii Linguistic researches, by S. R. Riggs xviii Linguistic and general researches among the Klamath Indians, by A. S. Gatschet xix Studies among the Iroquois, by Mrs. E. A. Smith xxii Work by Prof. Otis T. Mason xxii The study of gesture speech, by Brevet Lieut. Col. Garrick Mallery xxiii Studies on Central American picture writing, by Prof. E. S. Holden xxv The study of mortuary customs, by Dr. H. C. Yarrow xxvi Investigations relating to cessions of lands by Indian tribes to the United States, by C. C. Royce xxvii Explorations by Mr. James Stevenson xxx Researches among the Wintuns, by Prof. J. W. Powell xxxii The preparation of manuals for use in American research xxxii Linguistic classification of the North American tribes xxxiii

ACCOMPANYING PAPERS. Page.

ON THE EVOLUTION OF LANGUAGE, BY J. W. POWELL.

Process by combination 3 Process by vocalic mutation 5 Process by intonation 6 Process by placement 6 Differentiation of the parts of speech 8

SKETCH OF THE MYTHOLOGY OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, BY J. W. POWELL.

The genesis of philosophy 19 Two grand stages of philosophy 21 Mythologic philosophy has four stages 29 Outgrowth from mythologic philosophy 33 The course of evolution in mythologic philosophy 38 Mythic tales 43 The Cĭn-aú-äv Brothers discuss matters of importance to the Utes 44 Origin of the echo 45 The So´-kûs Wai´-ûn-ats 47 Ta-vwots has a fight with the sun 52

WYANDOT GOVERNMENT, BY J. W. POWELL.

The family 59 The gens 59 The phratry 60 Government 61 Civil government 61 Methods of choosing councillors 61 Functions of civil government 63 Marriage regulations 63 Name regulations 64 Regulations of personal adornment 64 Regulations of order in encampment 64 Property rights 65 Rights of persons 65 Community rights 65 Rights of religion 65 Crimes 66 Theft 66 Maiming 66 Murder 66 Treason 67 Witchcraft 67 Outlawry 67 Military government 68 Fellowhood 68

ON LIMITATIONS TO THE USE OF SOME ANTHROPOLOGIC DATA, BY J. W. POWELL.

Archæology 73 Picture writing 75 History, customs, and ethnic characteristics 76 Origin of man 77 Language 78 Mythology 81 Sociology 83 Psychology 83

A FURTHER CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF THE MORTUARY CUSTOMS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, BY H. C. YARROW.

List of illustrations 89 Introductory 91 Classification of burial 92 Inhumation 93 Pit burial 93 Grave burial 101 Stone graves or cists 113 Burial in mounds 115 Burial beneath or in cabins, wigwams, or houses 122 Cave burial 126 Embalmment or mummification 130 Urn burial 137 Surface burial 138 Cairn burial 142 Cremation 143 Partial cremation 150 Aerial sepulture 152 Lodge burial 152 Box burial 155 Tree and scaffold burial 158 Partial scaffold burial and ossuaries 168 Superterrene and aerial burial in canoes 171 Aquatic burial 180 Living sepulchers 182 Mourning, sacrifice, feasts, etc. 183 Mourning 183 Sacrifice 187 Feasts 190 Superstition regarding burial feasts 191 Food 192 Dances 192 Songs 194 Games 195 Posts 197 Fires 198 Superstitions 199

STUDIES IN CENTRAL AMERICAN PICTURE WRITING, BY E. S. HOLDEN.

List of illustrations 206 Introductory 207 Materials for the present investigation 210 System of nomenclature 211 In what order are the hieroglyphs read? 221 The card catalogue of hieroglyphs 223 Comparison of plates I and IV (Copan) 224 Are the hieroglyphs of Copan and Palenque identical? 227 Huitzilopochtli, Mexican god of war, etc. 229 Tlaloc, or his Maya representative 237 Cukulcan or Quetzalcoatl 239 Comparison of the signs of the Maya months 243

CESSIONS OF LAND BY INDIAN TRIBES TO THE UNITED STATES, BY C. C. ROYCE.

Character of the Indian title 249 Indian boundaries 253 Original and secondary cessions 256

SIGN LANGUAGE AMONG NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, BY COL. GARRICK MALLERY.

Introductory 269 Divisions of gesture speech 270 The origin of sign language 273 Gestures of the lower animals 275 Gestures of young children 276 Gestures in mental disorder 276 Uninstructed deaf-mutes 277 Gestures of the blind 278 Loss of speech by isolation 278 Low tribes of man 279 Gestures as an occasional resource 279 Gestures of fluent talkers 279 Involuntary response to gestures 280 Natural pantomime 280 Some theories upon primitive language 282 Conclusions 284 History of gesture language 285 Modern use of gesture speech 293 Use by other peoples than North American Indians 294 Use by modern actors and orators 308 Our Indian conditions favorable to sign language 311 Theories entertained respecting Indian signs 313 Not correlated with meagerness of language 314 Its origin from one tribe or region 316 Is the Indian system special and peculiar? 319 To what extent prevalent as a system 323 Are signs conventional or instinctive? 340 Classes of diversities in signs 341 Results sought in the study of sign language 346 Practical application 346 Relations to philology 349 Sign language with reference to grammar 359 Gestures aiding archæologic research 368 Notable points for further researches 387 Invention of new signs 387 Danger of symbolic interpretation 388 Signs used by women and children 391 Positive signs rendered negative 391 Details of positions of fingers 392 Motions relative to parts of the body 393 Suggestions for collecting signs 394 Mode in which researches have been made 395 List of authorities and collaborators 401 Algonkian 403 Dakotan 404 Iroquoian 405 Kaiowan 406 Kutinean 406 Panian 406 Piman 406 Sahaptian 406 Shoshonian 406 Tinnean 407 Wichitan 407 Zuñian 407 Foreign correspondence 407 Extracts from dictionary 409 Tribal signs 458 Proper names 476 Phrases 479 Dialogues 486 Tendoy-Huerito Dialogue. 486 Omaha Colloquy. 490 Brulé Dakota Colloquy. 491 Dialogue between Alaskan Indians. 492 Ojibwa Dialogue. 499 Narratives 500 Nátci’s Narrative. 500 Patricio’s Narrative. 505 Na-wa-gi-jig’s Story. 508 Discourses 521 Address of Kin Chē-Ĕss. 521 Tso-di-a´-ko’s Report. 524 Lean Wolf’s Complaint. 526 Signals 529 Signals executed by bodily action 529 Signals in which objects are used in connection with personal action 532 Signals made when the person of the signalist is not visible 536 Scheme of illustration 544 Outlines for arm positions in sign language 545 Types of hand positions in sign language 547 Examples 550

CATALOGUE OF LINGUISTIC MANUSCRIPTS IN THE LIBRARY OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY, BY J. C. PILLING.

Introductory 555 List of manuscripts 562

ILLUSTRATION OF THE METHOD OF RECORDING INDIAN LANGUAGES. FROM THE MANUSCRIPTS OF MESSRS. J. O. DORSEY, A. S. GATSCHET, AND S. B. RIGGS.

How the rabbit caught the sun in a trap, by J. O. Dorsey 581 Details of a conjurer’s practice, by A. S. Gatschet 583 The relapse, by A. S. Gatschet 585 Sweat-Lodges, by A. S. Gatschet 586 A dog’s revenge, by S. R. Riggs 587

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE

BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY.

BY J. W. POWELL, _Director._

INTRODUCTORY.

The exploration of the Colorado River of the West, begun in 1869 by authority of Congressional action, was by the same authority subsequently continued as the second division of the Geographical and Geological Survey of the Territories, and, finally, as the Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region.

By act of Congress of March 3, 1879, the various geological and geographical surveys existing at that time were discontinued and the United States Geological Survey was established.

In all the earlier surveys anthropologic researches among the North American Indians were carried on. In that branch of the work finally designated as the Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region, such research constituted an important part of the work. In the act creating the Geological Survey, provision was made to continue work in this field under the direction of the Smithsonian Institution, on the basis of the methods developed and materials collected by the Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region.

Under the authority of the act of Congress providing for the continuation of the work, the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution intrusted its management to the former director of the Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region, and a bureau of ethnology was thus practically organized.

In the Annual Report of the Geographical and Geological Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region for 1877, the following statement of the condition of the work at that time appears:

ETHNOGRAPHIC WORK.

During the same office season the ethnographic work was more thoroughly organized, and the aid of a large number of volunteer assistants living throughout the country was secured. Mr. W. H. Dall, of the United States Coast Survey, prepared a paper on the tribes of Alaska, and edited other papers on certain tribes of Oregon and Washington Territory. He also superintended the construction of an ethnographic map to accompany his paper, including on it the latest geographic determination from all available sources. His long residence and extended scientific labors in that region peculiarly fitted him for the task, and he has made a valuable contribution both to ethnology and geography.

With the same volume was published a paper on the habits and customs of certain tribes of the State of Oregon and Washington Territory, prepared by the late Mr. George Gibbs while he was engaged in scientific work in that region for the government. The volume also contains a Niskwalli vocabulary with extended grammatic notes, the last great work of the lamented author.

In addition to the map above mentioned and prepared by Mr. Dall, a second has been made, embracing the western portion of Washington Territory and the northern part of Oregon. The map includes the results of the latest geographic information and is colored to show the distribution of Indian tribes, chiefly from notes and maps left by Mr. Gibbs.

The Survey is indebted to the following gentlemen for valuable contributions to this volume: Gov. J. Furujelm, Lieut. E. De Meulen, Dr. Wm. F. Tolmie, and Rev. Father Mengarini.

Mr. Stephen Powers, of Ohio, who has spent several years in the study of the Indians of California, had the year before been engaged to prepare a paper on that subject. In the mean time at my request he was employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to travel among these tribes for the purpose of making collections of Indian arts for the International Exhibition. This afforded him opportunity of more thoroughly accomplishing his work in the preparation of the above-mentioned paper. On his return the new material was incorporated with the old, and the whole has been printed.

At our earliest knowledge of the Indians of California they were divided into small tribes speaking diverse languages and belonging to radically different stocks, and the whole subject was one of great complexity and interest. Mr. Powers has successfully unraveled the difficult problems relating to the classification and affinities of a very large number of tribes, and his account of their habits and customs is of much interest.

In the volume with his paper will be found a number of vocabularies collected by himself, Mr. George Gibbs, General George Crook, U.S.A., General W. B. Hazen, U.S.A., Lieut. Edward Ross, U.S.A., Assistant Surgeon Thomas F. Azpell, U.S.A., Mr. Ezra Williams, Mr. J. R. Bartlett, Gov. J. Furujelm, Prof. F. L. O. Roehrig, Dr. William A. Gabb, Mr. H. B. Brown, Mr. Israel S. Diehl, Dr. Oscar Loew, Mr. Albert S. Gatschet, Mr. Livingston Stone, Mr. Adam Johnson, Mr. Buckingham Smith, Padre Aroyo; Rev. Father Gregory Mengarini, Padre Juan Comelias, Hon. Horatio Hale, Mr. Alexander S. Taylor, Rev. Antonio Timmeno, and Father Bonaventure Sitjar.

The volume is accompanied by a map of the State of California, compiled from the latest official sources and colored to show the distribution of linguistic stocks.

The Rev. J. Owen Dorsey, of Maryland, has been engaged for more than a year in the preparation of a grammar and dictionary of the Ponka language. His residence among these Indians as a missionary has furnished him favorable opportunity for the necessary studies, and he has pushed forward the work with zeal and ability, his only hope of reward being a desire to make a contribution to science.

Prof. Otis T. Mason, of Columbian College, has for the past year rendered the office much assistance in the study of the history and statistics of Indian tribes.

On June 13, Brevet Lieut. Col. Garrick Mallery, U.S.A., at the request of the Secretary of the Interior, joined my corps under orders from the honorable Secretary of War, and since that time has been engaged in the study of the statistics and history of the Indians of the western portion of the United States.

In April last, Mr. A. S. Gatschet was employed as a philologist to assist in the ethnographic work of this Survey. He had previously been engaged in the study of the languages of various North American tribes. In June last at the request of this office he was employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to collect certain statistics relating to the Indians of Oregon and Washington Territory, and is now in the field. His scientific reports have since that time been forwarded through the honorable Commissioner of Indian Affairs to this office. His work will be included in a volume now in course of preparation.

Dr. H. O. Yarrow, U.S.A., now on duty at the Army Medical Museum, in Washington, has been engaged during the past year in the collection of material for a monograph on the customs and rites of sepulture. To aid him in this work circulars of inquiry have been widely circulated among ethnologists and other scholars throughout North America, and much material has been obtained which will greatly supplement his own extended observations and researches.

Many other gentlemen throughout the United States have rendered me valuable assistance in this department of investigation. Their labors will receive due acknowledgment at the proper time, but I must not fail to render my sincere thanks to these gentlemen, who have so cordially and efficiently co-operated with me in this work.

A small volume, entitled “Introduction to the Study of Indian Languages,” has been prepared and published. This book is intended for distribution among collectors. In its preparation I have been greatly assisted by Prof. W. D. Whitney, the distinguished philologist of Yale College. To him I am indebted for that part relating to the representation of the sounds of Indian languages; a work which could not be properly performed by any other than a profound scholar in this branch.

I complete the statement of the office-work of the past season by mentioning that a tentative classification of the linguistic families of the Indians of the United States has been prepared. This has been a work of great labor, to which I have devoted much of my own time, and in which I have received the assistance of several of the gentlemen above mentioned.

In pursuing these ethnographic investigations it has been the endeavor as far as possible to produce results that would be of practical value in the administration of Indian affairs, and for this purpose especial attention has been paid to vital statistics, to the discovery of linguistic affinities, the progress made by the Indians toward civilization, and the causes and remedies for the inevitable conflict that arises from the spread of civilization over a region previously inhabited by savages. I may be allowed to express the hope that our labors in this direction will not be void of such useful results.

In 1878 no report of the Survey of the Rocky Mountain Region was published, as before its completion the question of reorganizing all of the surveys had been raised, but the work was continued by the same methods as in previous years.

The operations of the Bureau of Ethnology during the past fiscal year will be briefly described.

In the plan of organization two methods of operation are embraced:

First. The prosecution of research by the direct employment of scholars and specialists; and

Second. By inciting and guiding research immediately conducted by collaborators at work throughout the country.

It has been the effort of the Bureau to prosecute work in the various branches of North American anthropology on a systematic plan, so that every important field should be cultivated, limited only by the amount appropriated by Congress.

With little exception all sound anthropologic investigation in the lower states of culture exhibited by tribes of men, as distinguished from nations, must have a firm foundation in language Customs, laws, governments, institutions, mythologies, religions, and even arts can not be properly understood without a fundamental knowledge of the languages which express the ideas and thoughts embodied therein. Actuated by these considerations prime attention has been given to language.

It is not probable that there are many languages in North America entirely unknown, and in fact it is possible there are none; but of many of the known languages only short vocabularies have appeared. Except for languages entirely unknown, the time for the publication of short vocabularies has passed; they are no longer of value. The Bureau proposes hereafter to publish short vocabularies only in the exceptional cases mentioned above.

The distribution of the Introduction to the Study of Indian Languages is resulting in the collection of a large series of chrestomathies, which it is believed will be worthy of publication. It is also proposed to publish grammars and dictionaries when those have been thoroughly and carefully prepared. In each case it is deemed desirable to connect with the grammar and dictionary a body of literature designed as texts for reference in explaining the facts and principles of the language. These texts will be accompanied by interlinear translations so arranged as greatly to facilitate the study of the chief grammatic characteristics.

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICAN PHILOLOGY, BY MR. J. C. PILLING.

There is being prepared in the office a bibliography of North American languages. It was originally intended as a card catalogue for office use, but has gradually assumed proportions which seem to justify its publication. It is designed as an author’s catalogue, arranged alphabetically, and is to include titles of grammars, dictionaries, vocabularies, translations of the scriptures, hymnals, doctrinæ christianæ, tracts, school-books, etc., general discussions, and reviews when of sufficient importance; in short, a catalogue of authors who have written in or upon any of the languages of North America, with a list of their works.

It has been the aim in preparing this material to make not only full titles of all the works containing linguistics, but also to exhaust editions. Whether full titles of editions subsequent to the first will be printed will depend somewhat on the size of the volume it will make, there being at present about four thousand five hundred cards, probably about three thousand titles.

The bibliography is based on the library of the Director, but much time has been spent in various libraries, public and private, the more important being the Congressional, Boston Public, Boston Athenæum, Harvard College, Congregational of Boston, Massachusetts Historical Society, American Antiquarian Society of Worcester, the John Carter Brown at Providence, the Watkinson at Hartford, and the American Bible Society at New York. It is hoped that Mr. Pilling may find opportunity to visit the principal libraries of New York and Philadelphia, especially those of the historical societies, before the work is printed.

In addition to personal research, much correspondence has been carried on with the various missionaries and Indian agents throughout the United States and Canada, and with gentlemen who have written upon the subject, among whom are Dr. H. Rink, of Copenhagen, Dr. J. C. E. Buschman, of Berlin, and the well-known bibliographers, Mr. J. Sabin, of New York, Hon. J. R. Bartlett, of Providence, and Señor Don J. G. Icazbalceta, of the City of Mexico.

Mr. Pilling has not attempted to classify the material linguistically. That work has been left for a future publication, intended to embody the results of an attempt to classify the tribes of North America on the basis of language, and now in course of preparation by the Director.