INTRODUCTION 



The North AmericaD Indians may be classified in 

 three ways: first, as to language; second, as to customs 

 and habits (culture) ; third, as to anatomical characters 

 physical type). It is, however, usual to consider them 

 as composed of small more or less distinct political or 

 s< uial groups, or tribes, and it is under such group names 

 that the objects in museum collections are arranged. 

 The cultures of many tribes are quite similar and since 

 such resemblances are nearly alwa} T s found among 

 neighbors and not among widely scattered tribes, it is 

 convenient and proper to group them in geographical 

 or culture areas. Most anthropologists classify the 

 cultures of North American tribes approximately as 

 shown on the accompanying map. 



In the region of the great plains and prairies were 

 many tribes of Plains Indians, who have held the first 

 place in the literature and art of our time. Being 

 rather war-like and strong in numbers, many of them 

 are intimately associated with the history of our 

 western states and every school boy knows how the 

 Dakota (Sioux) rode down Custer's command. The 

 names of Sitting-bull, Red-cloud, and Chief Joseph are 

 also quite familiar. 



The culture of these Plains tribes is most strikingly 



associated with the buffalo, or bison, which not so very 



•long ago roamed over their entire area. Turning to 



