ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT XXXV 



are holoplu'astic in verbal form, complex in grammatic structure, 

 and largely associative or connotive in idea. A vague family 

 resemblance is supposed by some philologists to indicate a 

 genetic connection between them; but the conspicuous fact of 

 the aboriginal Amei'ican tongues is their diversity, a diversity 

 so wide as to imply essentiall)'" independent development. 

 Briefly stated, the developmental factors correspond with those 

 of the industrial activities, save that the role of imitation seems 

 relati^•ely more important, and that there is more eftective 

 reaction on the organs (especially those _ of speech) than com- 

 monly attends performance of industrial function; while the 

 relative importance of the more strictly physiologic and the 

 more largely psj^'hologic elements is much the same as in the 

 institutional activities — i. e., the artificial features so far pre- 

 ponderate that the purely natural features are negligible. So, 

 while language indeed tends to differentiate tlu'ough pure 

 spontaneity and through the impulse of creative invention, the 

 prevailing tendency is toward diffusion through imitation, and 

 this tendency is so far preponderant that the vast collections of 

 records of American aboriginal languages are little more than 

 records of linguistic blending; so that the well-ascertained 

 course of linguistic development is toward interchange and 

 thence to ultimate union. 



5. The fiducial acti^dties of the American tribesmen have 

 been found of special interest, partly because their range is 

 relatively wider than in higher culture. , Advanced peoples 

 possess many philosophic systems, resting on reason and faith 

 separately and in combination, and these systems control 

 thought and action in their several ways ; but in primitive 

 culture, such as that represented by the aborigines of America, 

 the controlling philosophic systems rest exclusively on faith. 

 Accordingly their games are divinatory, their music propitia- 

 tory, and their dances and decorations invocatory. Even their 

 apparently commonplace smoking- is habitually connected with 

 adoration of the mysteries ; their industries are conducted 

 with constant reference to darkly mysterious potencies ; their 

 social organization is always affected and sometimes dominated 

 by thaumaturgic motives and the influence of the shamans ; 



