Appendix II. 

 REPORT ON THE BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY. 



Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report on the operations of 

 the Bureau of American Ethnology for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1908 : 



SYSTEMATIC RESEARCHES, 



The operations of the Bureau of American Ethnology for the fiscal year end- 

 ing June 30, 1908, conducted in accordance with the act of Congress making 

 provision for continuing i*esearches relating to the American Indians under 

 direction of the Smithsonian Institution, were carried forward in conformity 

 with the plan of operations approved by the Secretary May 25, 1907. 



As in previous years, the systematic ethnologic work of the bureau was 

 intrusted mainly to the regular scientific staff, which comprises eight members. 

 This force is not large enough, however, to give adequate attention to more 

 than a limited portion of the great field of research alforded by the hundreds 

 of tribes, and the bui'eau has sought to supply the deficiency in a measure by 

 enlisting the aid of other specialists in various branches of the ethnologic work. 

 By this means it is able to extend its researches in several directions at a 

 comparatvely modest outlay. While seeking to cover in the most comprehen- 

 sive manner the whole range of American ethnology, the bureau has taken par- 

 ticular care to avoid entering upon researches that are likely to be provided for 

 by other agencies, public or private. The results sought by the bureau are : 

 (1) Acquirement of a thorough knowledge of the tribes, their origin, relation- 

 ship to one another and to the whites, location, numbers, capacity for civiliza- 

 tion, claim to territory, and their interests generally, for the practical purposes 

 of government; and (2) the completion of a systematic and well-rounded 

 record of the tribes for historic and scientific' purposes before their aboriginal 

 characteristics and culture are too greatly modified or are completely lost. 



During the year researches were carried on in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, 

 Texas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Ontario. Investigations in the field were 

 more than usually limited on account of the necessity of retaining nearly all of 

 the ethnologic force in the ofiice for the purpose of completing the revision of 

 their various articles for the second part of the Handbook of American Indians, 

 and in preparing additional articles on subjects overlooked in the first writing 

 or that ai-e based on data recently collected. 



The chief remained in the office during nearly the entire year, dividing his 

 time between administrative duties and ethnologic investigations and writing. 

 The completion of numerous articles for the second part of the Handbook of 

 American Indians, the revision of reports and bulletins, and the examination of 

 various manuscripts submitted for publication especially claimed his attention. 

 Aside from these occupations, his duties as honorary curator of the division of 

 prehistoric archeology in the National Museum and as curator of the National 

 Gallery of Art absorbed a portion of his time. During the year much attention 

 was given to the collections of the division of prehistoric archeology in the 

 National Museum, especially to their classification with the view of removal in 

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