ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT 79 
SYSTEMATIC RESEARCHES 
In compliance with the act of Congress above mentioned 
the Bureau of American Ethnology has continued its field 
and office researches on the American Indians, including the 
ethnology of the Hawaiian Islands and the inhabitants of 
Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Later in this report is 
a list of the annual publications. The high cost of printing 
has somewhat reduced the quantity but the quality has 
been maintained. 
The rapid modification in aboriginal culture perceptible 
year by year in Indian manners, customs, and languages 
has led the chief of the bureau to encourage archeological 
and historical study of the Indians. Extensive researches 
have been carried on in Colorado, in the Harpeth Valley, 
Tenn., in the Ozarks, Mo., and on the Atlantic seaboard. 
In addition to archeological research considerable work has 
been done on documentary history, especially of the Creeks, 
Choctaws, and other Muskhogean tribes. 
Although the bureau has hitherto published many mem- 
oirs on the Indians of the northwest coast, there still remains 
much ethnological work awaiting investigation in this 
territory. A very promising beginning was made in the 
study of the totem poles of this region by Dr. T. T. Water- 
man, a temporary assistant on the staff of the bureau who 
made a special trip to Alaska for that purpose. He not 
only collected considerable new material on totem poles but 
also on legends connected with them. 
The intention of the chief is to continue the work thus 
inaugurated in Alaska, and to repair one of the old Indian 
villages for educational purposes. The former houses of 
the Alaska natives are now rapidly going to destruction; 
Kasaan, one of the largest, was deserted and has been made 
a national monument but is suffering for want of care. It 
is proposed to begin cleaning up this village, repair it, in 
order to minimize the dangers from fire and vandals, and 
put it in a condition to afford the greatest educational 
value to future students and tourists. 
The first duty of the chief bemg administrative in nature 
much of his time is taken up by details of office work, in 
