OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. 251 



the Table, and the same is equally true of the Spokane, these are sufficient grounds 

 for the admission of the Salish and Sahaptin nations into the Ganowanian family. 



One other stock language belonging to the valley of the Columbia, namely, the 

 Kootenay, is represented in the Table. The Flatbows speak a dialect of the same 

 language, and the two together are its only ascertained representatives. Their 

 range is along the western slopes of the Rocky Mountains immediately north of 

 the Flathead area. Although incompletely shown, the Kootenay system of rela- 

 tionship is interesting as a further glimpse at the stupendous scheme of consan- 

 guinity which prevails amongst the aboriginal inhabitants of this area. Upon 

 independent grounds a more complex system might be expected to exist in the 

 valley of the Columbia than upon the St. Lawrence or the Mississippi. With so 

 many nations crowded together, but held asunder by dialects and mutually unin- 

 telligible stock languages, and yet intermingling by marriage, the constant ten- 

 dency would be to increase and intensify the special discriminations developed from 

 the system, by the gradual introduction of the special features of each into all the 

 others. These new" features do not necessarily disturb the essential framework of 

 the system, although they may greatly increase its complexity, and render it more 

 difficult of ascertainment. Beside this a plan of consanguinity so elaborate as that 

 of the Ganowanian family, could not be maintained pure and simple in its minute 

 details, amongst so many nations, and over such immense areas. Additions and 

 modifications are immaterial so long as they leave undisturbed the fundamental 

 conceptions on which the original system rests. 



V. Shoshonee Nations. 



1. Shoshonees or Snake Indians. 2. Bonnacks. 3. Utahs of the Colorado (1. 

 Tabegwaches. 2. Wemenuches. 3. Yampahs or Utahs of Grand River. 4. 

 Unitahs. 5. Chemehuevis. 6. Capotes. 7. Mohuaches. 8. Pah-Utes). 4'. 

 Utahs of Lower California (1. Cahuillos. 2. Kechis. 3. Netelas. 4. Kizhes). 

 5. Comanches. 



There are reasons for believing that the Shoshonee migration was the last of the 

 series, in the order of time, which left the valley of the Columbia, and spread into 

 other parts of the continent. It was a pending migration at the epoch of Euro- 

 pean colonization. It furnishes an apt illustration of the manner in which Indian 

 migrations are prosecuted under the control of physical causes. They were gradual 

 movements, extended through long periods of time, involving the forcible displace- 

 ment of other migrants that had preceded them ; and therefore, are without any 

 definite direction, except such as was dictated by the exigencies of passing events. 

 The initial point of this migration, as well as its entire course, stands fully revealed. 

 Almost the entire area overspread, showing the general outline of a head, trunk 

 and two legs, is still held by some one of the branches of this great stem. Upon 

 the south branch of the Columbia River the Shoshonees still reside ; south of them 

 along the mountain wastes of the interior are the Bonnacks, a closely affiliated 

 people, who occupy quite near to the head-waters of the Colorado. The mountains 

 and the rugged regions drained by the Upper Colorado and its tributaries are held 

 by the Utahs in several independent bands or embryo nations, who are spread over 

 an area of considerable extent. Here the original stream of this migration divided 



