ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT XXXI 



as to yield a special memoir on tccliiu.lo^ry, (h..si<r,„.,i f,„. ,..„.i^- 

 publication in bulletin form, and a o-eneral monoo-rapli on tlir 

 social organization, mythology, and estlictology of tlie V'uw.i 

 tribe and on the antiquities of tlieir liabitat. 



During the year Dr Albert E. Jenks revised th.' pr.n.ts utliis 

 memoir on Wild Rice Gatherers of the r])i)er I.nkcs, wbii-h 

 forms part of the Nineteenth Annual licport. This treatise is 

 deemed especially valuable in that it calls attention t.. a wide- 

 spread food source largely used by the aborigines and giving 

 promise of great utility to our citizens whenever the reipiisite 

 attention is given to cultivation, milling, and prei)aration. In 

 food value the wild rice ranks high among cereals, and its 

 natural habitat is such that by its means otherwise useless 

 swamp lands may be utilized and reclaimed, while it can not 

 be doubted that with judicious cultivation it might be adaptecl 

 to a widening range of soil conditions. Later in the vear 1 )r 

 Jenks resumed his researches concerniuii- the birch-bai-k indus- 

 tries of our northern aborigines. As noted in the last report, 

 one aspect of the industries clustering about the birch tn-e is 

 of prime significance to ethnologists in that the bircli-hark 

 canoe was the most effective agency of distribntion of tribes 

 and culture during early times; moreovei', it is wcdl worth 

 noting that the interest is a living one, sinee the bark canoe 

 remains a most effective device for transportation for wjiite 

 as well as red men. Indeed, its use by white tourists, fishermen, 

 and hunters, is apparently increasing in the northern Tnited 

 States and Canada. Various other birch-bark artifacts are in 

 use amono" wdiites as well as natives. The half conventi«»nal, 

 half symboHc mnkok, or maple-sugar box. proves a c..nvenient 

 household utensil: birch-bark baskets of different forms are 

 found useful as well as artistic; ;md on the wh.de it would 

 appear not only that the birch-hark in.histry is increasing in 

 consequence of demands by whites, but that it serves as a 

 helpful stepping-stone fn.m the primitive cust.»ms of the 

 Indian toward the free and self-supp..rting citizenship which 

 is the Indian's ultimate g(»al. Exigencies namected with the 

 editorial work of the (dhce con.pelled Dr Jenks to divert a part 

 of his time from the research. Theretore tl..- work was not 



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