PREFACE 379 



The original circular recites that it was addressed to four classes 

 of individuals, namely, " I. Persons holding positions tinder the 

 department, who are believed to have it in their power to impart 

 much practical information respecting the tribes who are, respec- 

 tively, under their charge. II. Persons who have retired from 

 similar situations, travelers in the Indian Territory, or partners and 

 factors on the American frontiers. III. Men of learning or re- 

 search who have perused the best writers on the subject and who 

 may feel willing to communicate the results of their reading or re- 

 flections. IV. Teachers and missionaries to the aborigines." 



The circular closes with an expression of the " anxiety which is felt 

 to give to the materials collected the character of entire authenticity, 

 and to be apprised of any erroneous views in the actual manners and 

 customs, character, and condition of our Indian tribes which may 

 have been promulgated. The Government, it is believed, owes it 

 to itself to originate a body of facts on this subject of an entirely 

 authentic character, from which the race at large may be correctly 

 judged by all classes of citizens, and its policy respecting the tribes 

 under its guardianship, and its treatment of them, properly under- 

 stood and appreciated." 



The 348 inquiries in the circular embrace the history (and arche- 

 ology), the tribal organization, the religion, the manners and customs, 

 the intellectual capacity and character, the present condition, the 

 future prospects, and the language, of the Indian tribes of the United 

 States. 



But the report of Mr. Denig consists of brief and greatly condensed 

 replies to as many of the questions propounded in the circular in 

 question as concerned the native tribes of the upper Missouri River, 

 to wit, the Arikara, the Mandan, the Sioux, the Gros Ventres, the 

 Cree. the Crows, the Assiniboin, and the Blackfeet, tribes with whom 

 he was thoroughly acquainted, although the Assiniboin seem to have 

 been the chief subjects of his observations. It should be noted that 

 the answers to some of the questions, if adequately treated, would 

 have required nearly as much space as was devoted to the entire 

 report. 



While the facts embodied in the replies of Mr. Denig are, when 

 unqualified, affirmed of all the eight tribes mentioned in his letter 

 of transmittal, he is nevertheless careful, when needful, to restrict 

 many of his answers to the specific tribes to which their subject 

 matter particularly related. But, of course, all the tribes mentioned 

 belonged measurably to a single cultural area at that time. 



That Mr. Denig made use of the circular issued by Mr. Schoolcraft 

 is clearly evident from the fact that on the left-hand margin of the 

 manuscript he usually wrote the number of the question to which 

 he was giving an answer. 



