TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT 



BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY 



By J. W. Powell, Dikectoe 



INTRODUCTION. 



The prosecntion of ethnologic researches among the North 

 American Indians, in accordance with act of Congress, was 

 continued during the fiscal year 1890-'91. 



The general plan on which the work was prosecuted in 

 former years, and which has been explained in earlier reports, 

 was continued in operation. A noteworthy feature of this ])lan 

 is that the ethnologists who, as authors, prepare the publica- 

 tions of the Bureau, personally gather the material for them in 

 the field, supplementing this material by a study of all the con- 

 nected literature and by a subsequent comparison of all ascer- 

 tained facts. The continuance of the work for a numlier of 

 years by the same zealous observers and students, who freely 

 interchange their information and opinions, has resulted in their 

 training with the acuteness of specialists, con-ected and gener- 

 alized by the knowledge obtained from other authorities on the 

 same or related specialties. 



General lines of investigation were adopted by the Director 

 and the details were intrusted to selected persons skilled 

 in their pursuits, the results of whose labors are published 

 from time to time in the manner prescribed by law. A brief 

 statement of tlie work on which each of these special stu- 

 dents was engaged during the year, with its condensed result, 



