64 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1920. 



ber — can not be understood without this definite knowledge of in- 

 ternal tribal organization, as there is constant clanger of confusing 

 tribal with Federal relationships. The internal tribal organization 

 differed among the Five Nations and the knowledge of one or two is 

 not sufficient. 



With the aid of Mr. Asa R. Hill as Mohawk interpreter and in- 

 formant, the work of the textual criticism of the Mohawk text of 

 the league material originally collected by Mr. Seth Newhouse, a 

 Mohawk ex-federal chief, was revised. Knowing that Mr. Newhouse 

 is a fine Mohawk speaker, Mr. Hewitt induced him to translate his 

 material back into the language from which he had rendered it into 

 indifferent English. This translation was not desired for publication 

 but to obtain the correct Mohawk terminology or diction for the ex- 

 pression of the ideas embodied in the material. 



During the year Mr. Francis La Flesche, ethnologist, devoted 

 most of his time to the task of preparing for publication the manu- 

 script of the first volume of his work on the Osage Tribe. In Febru- 

 ary the text of the first volume was finished and the manuscript 

 placed in the hands of the Chief of the Bureau of American 

 Ethnology. 



The volume contains two elaborate ancient rituals, the first of 

 which is entitled " Ga-hi'-ge 0-k'o n , Ritual of the Chiefs " ; and the 

 second "Ni'-ki No n -k'o n , Hearing of the Sayings of the Ancient 

 Men." These rituals are rendered in three forms: First, in a free 

 English translation ; second, the recited parts, also the words of the 

 songs, as given by the Indians themselves in their own language into 

 the dictaphone; third, a translation from the Osage language into 

 English as nearly literal as can be made. Owing to the peculiar 

 modes of expression used in the rituals by the Indians, such as 

 metaphors, figures of speech, tropes, and archaic terms, it is impossi- 

 ble to give an absolutely literal translation. Furthermore, much of 

 the language used in these rituals is in ceremonial style and not that 

 in daily use among the people. 



On the completion of the manuscript of the first volume, Mr. La 

 Flesche took up the task of preparing for publication the manu- 

 script of the second volume. 



Mr. J. P. Harrington, ethnologist, spent the months of July, Au- 

 gust, and September, 1919, on field duty in New Mexico in pursu- 

 ance of his studies of the ethnology and linguistic relationship of 

 the Southwest Indians. These studies resulted in a large amount 

 of most carefully heard textual, grammatical, and lexical material 

 from the Tano-Kiowan family of languages, the elaboration of more 

 than 750 pages of which was completed for publication before the 

 close of the fiscal year. 



