2 BUREAU OP AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 55 



people studied ? (c) What use do they make of the plants about them 

 for food, for medicme, for material culture, for ceremonial purposes ? 

 (d) What is the extent of their knowledge of the parts, functions, 

 and activities of plants ? (e) Into what categories are plant names 

 and words that deal with plants grouped in the language of the people 

 studied, and what can be learned concerning the working of the folk- 

 mmd by the study of these names?. 



Etlm.obotany will become a more important subject when its study 

 has progressed to a point where results can be studied comparatively. 

 The ethnobotany of one tribe should be compared with similar studies 

 of other tribes. And in such comparative work there arises the neces- 

 sity for a standard in the quality of and in the manner of conducting 

 the several investigations. Conceptions of plant life differ among 

 different peoples: a particular plant here does not react in the same 

 way upon one people as it does upon another; it has a diU'erent name 

 and probably a different usage; wliile different ideas are held con- 

 cerning it. Furthermore, we encounter different vegetal environ- 

 ments as we pass from tribe to tribe. Attempt should ultimately be 

 made to mvestigato the causes and extent of these variations. 



Ethnobotanical Field Work 



The method of conducting ethnobotanical researches is of consider- 

 able unportance, and the value of results obtamed may be judged in 

 great measure by the methods pursued in obtaining them. A prime 

 necessity is a good native informant ; indeed it is better to have several 

 informants, preferably older men or women. The reasons for select- 

 ing the older persons as mformants are obvious: they have greater 

 Imowledge concerning aboriginal tilings than have younger persons; 

 they are less inclined to regard the work lightly and to attempt to give 

 wrong and misleading answers ; they are steadier, and above all they 

 are able to give, as a result of their maturer years and greater experience, 

 more trustworthy mformation. The writers found a distuict advan- 

 tage in taking with them mto the field several old Indians: time was 

 saved; questions were answered more readily; furthermore, they 

 frequently discussed the point in question among themselves, thus 

 arriving at conclusions and bringmg out facts that one individual 

 could not. It is also true that several Indians together usually feel 

 less restraint in answering freely such questions as are asked than 

 would one in the presence of one or more questioners. As a means of 

 checking the accuracy of information obtamed it is also well to work 

 with different individuals or groups of individuals separately, and to 

 compare the results. Questions asked should not suggest the answers. 

 Questioning should be systematic, yet so conducted as not to weary or 

 offend the informants. It is well to intersperse the questioning with 

 jokes and light conversation. The Indian language should be used as 



