ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT LXI 



in the first or the second of these stages, and nothing more 

 than a feeble germ of the third stage is found among them. 

 Now, studies of mythologic and religious systems indicate that 

 the earlier two stages overlap among different peoples, and also 

 that the psychotheism of the more advanced among the primi- 

 tive peoples is closely akin to enlightened religious concepts, 

 but that the second and third stages are more widely distinct. 

 Accordingly, red men and white are separated by the broadest 

 known chasm in the development of belief, a chasm so broad 

 that few representatives of either race are able definitely to 

 bridge it in thought. Thus, many of the movements described 

 in this chapter were among people separated from the ghost 

 dance enthusiasts by the widest known cultural break as well 

 as by the widest known break in fiducial development; and 

 whatever the superficial resemblance in the movements, there 

 is a strong presumption against their essential homology. 



In its extent and intensity the ghost-dance fantasy of 1889- 

 1892 is a unique illustration of one of the characteristics of 

 the aborigines which has long been under investigation in the 

 Bureau of Ethnology, and the accompanying memoir is a con- 

 tribution toward the final results of these researches. 



