XCVIII REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY 



terms and ideas prevailing among the plains tribes bore evi- 

 dence of derivation from the terms and ideas of the eastern 

 people, thus indicating that the wandering Imffalo hunters of 

 the plains Avere descended from the woodland tribes on the 

 borders of the Atlantic. Then, when the history of the Siouan 

 Indians was wrought out from the records of the white pio- 

 neers, it was found that from the time of first observation to the 

 time of settlement most of the tribes moved westward along 

 various routes, and when the traditions of the tribesmen were 

 collected by Dorsey and others they were found to recount 

 westward migrations of some of the groups long before the 

 advent of white men. Thus the linguistic features, the histor- 

 ical records, and the nati^'e traditions, coincidentally indicate 

 a westward drift and great expansion of the Siouan tribes 

 and confederacies, certainly from the valley of the Ohio, and 

 probably from the Appalachian mountains, to and across the 

 Mississippi, and thence over the greater part of the great plains 

 stretching from the Arkansas to the Saskatchewan. The 

 Siouan Indians accordingly form a noteworthy example at 

 once of the growth and of the inland extension of a natural 

 group of primitive men. Finally, study of the interaction 

 between the Siouan Indians and their environment seems to 

 give clear and decisive indication as to the reason for the west- 

 ward migration of the greater part of the stock and for the 

 enormous increase and multiplication of the tribes; it has been 

 discovered that the ancient Siouan habitat slightly overlapjied 

 the ancient habitat of the American bison or buffalo, and that 

 it was undoubtedly the quest and conquest of this singularly 

 facile game that gradually led the huntsmen down the tribu- 

 taries and across the Mississippi and over the plains beyond. 

 The history thus developed is especially significant in its bear- 

 ing on the general question concerning the growth of peoples 

 on passing from the coasts toward the interior when food supply 

 and other conditions are favorable. 



The summary description of the Siouan Indians is of interest, 

 too, in that the partial domestication of animals by these tribes 

 is set forth in some detail. It is shown that the Indians of the 

 plains, like those of several other provinces, had domesticated 



