XXVIII REPORT OF THE HUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY 



whatever may be the meaning of somatologies characters they 

 do not indicate affinity in arts and motives, ideas and senti- 

 ments, and other essentially human characteristics. Accord- 

 ingly it was found futile even to begin grouping the Indians 

 on reservations by somatologic characteristics; and the first 

 result of the researches, even before the organization of the 

 Bureau was complete, was to show that somatologic classifi- 

 cation is utterly useless in practical ethnic work. 



Failing completely in the attempt to classify the tribes 

 somatologically — i. e., on a biotic basis, — efforts were at once 

 directed toward devising a practical classification of the tribes 

 resting on some other basis; and after examination of repre- 

 sentative tribes in different parts of the country and study of 

 the literature based on actual observation among the Indians, 

 it was found feasible and indeed necessary for every purpose 

 to define the tribes, clans, families, and other groups of the 

 aborigines by purely human or demotic characters. Thus, 

 while it was early ascertained that the human genus may be 

 separated from the lower animals on strictly biotic grounds 

 (and that the utility of this mode of classification for ethnic 

 purposes goes no further), it was ascertained also that even 

 this primary distinction is made stronger when human or 

 demotic characters are considered; and it was ascertained at 

 the same time that demotic characters form a satisfactory basis 

 for subdivision of the genus Homo into families, clans or 

 gentes, tribes, and confederacies. Among the demotic charac- 

 ters those connected with language are of prime importance, 

 while governmental institutions, religion, industries, and arts 

 are usually of almost equal importance. 



On considering and testing the applicability of the demotic 

 characters of the Indians, it was soon found that tribes speak- 

 ing the same or similar languages are at peace more frequently 

 than are tribes of diverse tongues; that similarity in lan- 

 guage generally accompanies similarity in tribal organization 

 and law, while similarity in language and law is commonly 

 connected with similarity in beliefs and arts; and that peoples 

 similar in these characteristics can be combined on reserva- 

 tions without engendering strife. Pursuing the system, it was 



