ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT XXXIX 



tutelaries with a wealth of imagery and ritual derived from 

 other districts and peoples, vivified by their union and inter- 

 action. During" earlier days the rituals were so far esoteric as 

 to generally escape the notice of ethnologists as well as of 

 casual visitors; but during recent years a few students, notably 

 Miss Fletcher, have been permitted to witness the sacred cere- 

 monies, and even to examine and obtain interpretations of the 

 magic bundles which serve as the tangible basis of the rituals. 

 All of these rituals are impressive; some, like the Hako, are of 

 remarkable richness, not only in gesture and measured move- 

 ment, but in the poetic imagery expressed in word, nuisic, 

 pantomime. Miss Fletcher's record appears to be perfect, and 

 she has analyzed with acumen the rhythm and melody of the 

 chants, the symbolic harmony of the accompanying panto- 

 mime, and the meaning expressed in the intricate figures of the 

 dance and movements of'the march that form essential features 

 of the ceremony. From Miss Fletcher's rendition and inter- 

 pretation it would seem that these elaborate rituals open a vista 

 looking directly on the beginnings of song, dance, drama, poesy. 

 They certainly are a revelation to students of the highest phases 

 of human culture as well as to the investigator of primitive cus- 

 toms. The memoir is in press as a part of the Twenty-second 

 Annual Report. 



In connection with his comparative study of Indian creation 

 myths Mr Hewitt has been led to analyze certain funda- 

 mental features of primitive philosophy, especially those form- 

 ino- the basis of totemism, shamanism, etc. It is well known 

 that in the difierent Indian languages there are terms di Hi cult 

 of translation into modern tongues which are of deep mcan- 

 ing to their users, for example, manido, or manitou, among the 

 Algonquian tribes; wakan, or wakanda, among the 8i<nian 

 tribes — terms covering a larger proportion and wider variety 

 of the thought of primitive men than any single terms cover 

 in higher culture. Among the Iroquoian Indians tlie coi-re- 

 spouding term is orenda, which may be translated mysterious 

 power for good and evil, powers of magic, or, more l)i-ieriy, 

 magic potency. Mr Hewitt's analysis was announced in a 

 preliminar}' paper, and has already proved serviceable to eth- 



