60 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1921. 



these reserves are ancient buildings more or less dilapidated and 

 buried underground, and to increase their educational value it is 

 necessary that they be excavated under the supervision of men trained 

 in the scientific methods of the archeologist. They should also be 

 repaired by equally competent hands. This work is now being shared 

 with other institutions, but it is desirable that the Bureau of Ameri- 

 can Ethnology should continue to occupy a very prominent place in 

 this work, in which it was the pioneer, as its appropriation was made 

 in part for this service. 



While the majority of these monuments are prehistoric cliff dwell- 

 ings or pueblos situated in our Southwest, there are others of equal 

 interest in other parts of the country. For instance, among the most 

 instructive of these monuments is the Kasaan Monument, an aban- 

 doned llaida village situated in Alaska. This village has many of 

 the old totem poles, several "grave houses," and other buildings 

 still standing, but rapidly going into ruin, liable to be destroyed by 

 fire or by vandals. It is very desirable that steps should be taken 

 to preserve this deserted town and that ethnological studies be made 

 before these relics are lost to science. The bureau is also contributing 

 its part, in an unobtrusive manner, in the efforts to preserve Cahokia, 

 the largest aboriginal mound in North America. 



In his previous reports the chief has annually called attention to 

 the time consumed by the staff in answering correspondence asking 

 information regarding American ethnology and related subjects. 

 Some of these letters request elementary knowledge, others demand 

 more or less research. Whether for the one or the other purpose, 

 they often necessitate investigation and absorb considerable time, 

 Avhich tends to distract the attention of the experts from intensive 

 scientific research, thus causing the scientific output to be reduced 

 to a greater or less degree. The chief regards this aspect of the 

 work of the bureau as a very important one and indicative of the 

 respect in which the bureau is held by its correspondents. For this 

 reason replies have been prepared with great care, so that they may 

 be reliable and authoritative. 



FIELD RESEARCHES OF THE STAFF. 



Two members of the staff, the chief and Dr. Truman Michelson, 

 engaged in field exploration at some time during the year. 



During the past year the chief made three visits to the Mesa Verde 

 National Park, Colo. ; one in July and August and another in Novem- 

 ber, 1920. On the second visit he was the guest of Mr. Stephen T. 

 Mather, Director of the National Park Service, Mr, F. A. Wad- 

 leigh, general passenger agent of the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, 

 and other gentlemen. The object of this visit was an inspection of 

 past work in the park and formulation of plans for the future. The 



