ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT XXIII 



HANDBOOK OF AMERICAN INDIANS 



Work oil the Handbook, hitherto freciuently referred to as 

 the "Dictionary of Indian Tribes," has been vigorously 

 prosecuted during the year under the immediate supervision 

 of Mr F. W. Hodge, of the Smithsonian Institution, who, with 

 the approval of the Secretarj^, has devoted most of his time 

 thereto. Mr Hodge has had the almost undivided assistance 

 of Dr Cyrus Thomas, and, as occasion required, nearly the 

 entire scientific staff of the Bureau has aided both in the 

 preparation of the anthropologic and kindred articles and in 

 the revision and elaboration of the tribal descriptions found 

 to be necessary by reason of recently acquired knowledge. 

 So far as the funds of the Bureau afforded, the aid of eth- 

 nologists not officially connected with the Bureau was also 

 enlisted. The services generously rendered b)^ these, either 

 gratuitously or for a merely nominal consideration, are 

 highly appreciated. 



As outlined in former reports, it was originally the plan of 

 Major Powell to classify the linguistic families, tribes, and 

 settlements north of Mexico and to identifj^ the various 

 names by which these had been known in the vast literature 

 of the subject, with a brief description of each such group. 

 This material, recorded on many thousands of cards, became 

 known as the "Cyclopedia of Tribes, with Synonymy." 



In 1903 the Secretary altered the scope of the work by 

 directing the incorporation of brief separate articles pertain- 

 ing to the habits, customs, arts, and industries of the Indians 

 and of their dealings with the Government, together with 

 biographies of noted individuals and a list of words of north- 

 ern Indian origin that have been incorporated into the Eng- 

 lish language. No work so com23rehensive in its scope had 

 hitherto been attempted, consequently in making plans for 

 the new departure it became necessarj' to begin at the foun- 

 dation. The popular style of treatment was ever kept in 

 mind, and considerable time was consumed in correspond- 

 ence with experts best qualified for the preparation of many 

 of the special articles called for by the enlarged plan. For 

 these reasons it has not been possible to complete the work 



