M 



212 SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 



one fundamentally un-Algonquian grammatical trait, namely, the in- 

 sertion of the syllable -en- after the initial consonant of a primary ver- 

 bal stem to express habitual action. So far as known this trait is 

 unique. It is therefore not possible to state whether this is self evolved, 

 or borrowed from some outside source. The theoretical importance of 

 this is very great. It is perfectly well known that a purely genealogical 

 grouping of American Indian languages breaks down ; it is only a 

 question as to on how great a scale the borrowing of grammatical fea- 

 tures can occur. 



The work among the Fox of Iowa consisted largely of restoring 

 phonetically texts gathered previously in the current syllabic script, 

 obtaining translations, etc. I returned to Washington August 31, '29. 



In conclusion I should add I am more than ever convinced that all 

 members of primitive societies are not alike ; differences fully as 

 great as in our own society occur ; even so-called intellectual classes 

 exist among them. Nor is the opinion tenable that every one in primi- 

 tive society is as free as the air : all primitive societies have restraints 

 and obligations fully as strict as our own. Nor do the ethical ideals of 

 primitive peoples differ fundamentally from our own ; the content 

 alone is different. Nor are natives any more " pre-logical " than we are. 

 Given, say, the belief in Thunder-birds, any Indian of the Great 

 Plains can justify this fully as acutely as we can justify some of our 

 own beliefs. Nor are natives (as Herbert Spencer fondly imagined) 

 explosive and incapable of self restraint: they can and do restrain 

 themselves on occasions where we should not. and vice versa. Simi- 

 larly they have their own etiquette, whether this coincides with ours 

 or not. 



II 



