REPORT OV THE SECRETARY. 55 



mitted to enter the arcana, and witness the sacred ceremonies, and even to examine 

 and obtain interpretations of the- magic "bundles" which serve as the tangible basis 

 of the rituals. All of these rituals, are impressive; some, like the Hako, are of 

 remarkable richness, not onlyin gesture ajid measured movement, but in the poetic 

 imagery ex2)ressed in word and music and pantomime. Miss Fletcher's record 

 appears to be perfect, and she has analyzed with acumen the rhythm and melody 

 (jf the chants, the symbolic harmony of the accomjianying pantomime, and the 

 meaning expressed in the intricate figures of the dance and movements of the march 

 forming essential features of the ceremony. From Miss Fletcher's rendition and 

 interpretations it would seem that these elaborate rituals open a vista looking directly 

 on the beginnings of song, dance, drama, poesy — certainly they are a revelation to 

 students of the highest phases of human cultui-e as well as to the investigator of 

 primitive customs. The memoir is in i)ress as a part of tlie Twenty-second Annual 

 Report. 



In connection with his comi)arative study of Indian creation mytlis, Mr. Hewitt 

 has been led to analyze certain fundamental features of i^rimitive philosophy, esjie- 

 cially tliose forming tlie basis of totemism, shamanism, etc. It is well known that in 

 the different Indian languages there are terms difRcailt of translation into modern 

 tongues which are of deep meaning to their users, e. g., manido, or nianilou, among 

 the Algonquiau tril)es, iralnu^ or inikmida, among the Siouan tribes — terms covering 

 a larger proportion and wider variety of the thought of primitive men than any 

 single term covers iu higher culture. Among the Iroquoian Indians the correspond- 

 ing term is orenda, which may be translated "mysterious power for good and evil," 

 "powers of magic," or, more briefly, "magic potency." Mr. Hewitt's analysis was 

 announced in a preliminary paper, and has already proved serviceable to ethnologi.>-ts 

 in this and other countries; and it seems probable that the Iroquois term will come 

 into general use in the English language for purposes of sophiologic discussion. The 

 complete study is designed for publication in the second part of "Iroquois Creation 

 Myths," which was nearly ready for the press at the end of the year. 



For a number of years Mrs. Matilda Coxe Stevenson has been investigating the 

 myths and ceremonies of the Zuiii Indians, the progress of the work being retarded 

 by her ill health, as noted in previous reports. During the earlier months of the 

 fiscal year Mrs. Stevenson was on temporary furlough, and the state of her health so 

 improved as to permit her to take up the work again. Accordingly she was able t<j 

 finish the revision of several incomplete chapters and t(j arrange the material for the 

 entire monograph in form for publication. The nature and extent of the work ha\e 

 been reported repeatedly; it may be noted merely that IVlrs. Stevenson's ambition 

 has been to make a model record of the elaborate ceremonies of one of the most 

 interesting of the Pueblo tribes, and that it is a source of much gratitication to 

 announce the satisfactory completion of the work. 



Although their researches were devoted primarily to other Indian activities, .sev- 

 eral of the collaborators have made noteworthy collections of sociologic material 

 during the year, the work of Dr. Fewkes on Porto Rican zemis and zemeism, that of 

 Mr. Mooney on the fiducial factors in Kiowa heraldy, that of Dr. Russell on the calen- 

 dric systems and accompanying beliefs of the Pima Indians, that of Dr. Jenks on the 

 mythology of l)irch bark, and that of Dr. Swanton on the mythologic features of 

 social organization among the Haidu Indians l)eing esjiecially worthy of mention. 



DESCKIl'TIVK KTJINOI.O(;Y. 



In connection with his field work, Mr. Mooney was able to make some progress in 

 the preparation of the Cyclopedia of Native Tribes; and when other duties per- 

 mitted. Dr. Thomas contiimed the collection of material for this work, both from 

 current pul)lications and from the lari' books constantly being added to thc^ library. 



About the middle ok" the year I lie liiider translation of tiie manuscript history of 



