RACES AND PEOPLES 227 



The problem of the origin of llio aboriginal American 

 peoples is as diflicuit to solve as any racial problem. 

 Professor Keane believes that the early inliabilants of 

 America came by two distinct routes : from Asia, by way 

 of Bering Strait ; and in late Tertiary times, from western 

 Europe to Greenland and Labrador.^^ 



Ales Ilrdlicka has carefully examined the remains of 

 so-called prehistoric man in both North and South Amer- 

 ica, and concludes that the evidence does not support the 

 doctrine of paleolithic man in America, lie considers 

 that there is yet no undisputed geological evidence of an- 

 tiquity and thafthe sonuitological evidence bears witness 

 to the close affinity of the North American remains to 

 those of the modern Indian.^" The South American evi- 

 dence is defective because of imperfect geological de- 

 terminations and in the failure of those who were not 

 expert anthropologists to allow for the possibility of ac- 

 ciclental or artificial introduction into older terranes.^^'' 



^he civilization of the races of Europe has spread with 

 wonderful rapidity until it has set the standards of living 

 in the remotest islands of the Pacific, as it has determined 

 the culture of great conmiereial empires. Civilized man 

 has succeeded in subduing many of the forces of nature 

 and in converting natural energy into forms serviceable 

 to himself. He has grown to believe that all peoples 

 who have not gained a similar control of natural forces 

 are to be pitied, that they represent a lower order of in- 

 tellect and that their culture is a lower order of achieve- 

 ment. This assumption that the European White race 

 is superior to all other races is bft^l ui^on the remarkable 

 achievements of the White race.-'TWe conclude that, since 



White race.-'*l We ci 

 igher, it tooK a high 



the civilization is higher, it toolf a higher grade of mind 



isKeane, op. cit., pi>. .S6'2-:{{i4, 



10 Bureau of Amer. Ethnolomi, Bnl. 33, p. AS. 



i9-a Ibid., Bill. 53, p. 385. -o Boas, op. cit., p. 2. 



