File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (17539734333).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo14amer (find matches)
Year: c1900-(1918) (c190s)
Authors: American Museum of Natural History
Subjects: Natural history
Publisher: New York : American Museum of Natural History
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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RECORDS OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN 165 transformation of the Indian's life has been made infinitely harder by the white man's cupidity. Not only have we been unfair to the Indian; but as a nation rightly and proudly giving considerable study to man, we have also neglected a very great opportunity. Much has been done, it is true — ethnological research of importance has been conducted during recent years — yet a vast amount re- mains to be done. The American In- dians possess many noble traits which were no doubt not common to the aver- age primitive man of the same state of development. By some strange chance the precursors of this branch of the human race were held for ages in the grip of darkness, perhaps due to isola- tion, perhaps an instance of retrogres- sion. Possibly time will throw light upon the cause. This however is cer- tain: the American Indian has afforded advanced science in an age of civilization an excellent opportunity to study primi- tive man at a most interesting period. Geologically speaking that period is the one immediately following the acquisi- tion of implements — the period when he was yet awkward in the use of such tools as his sluggishly inventive brain had evolved, and before the inventive faculty had yet fully awakened to the fact that successful existence depended upon rea- son more than upon instinct. Again, the students of the world are searching and analyzing the earliest of the known scriptures, the "Vedas," for insight into primitive religious thought, belief and practice, and here in the United States we have a living "Veda," a great people possessing primitive be- liefs and practices. As a nation we have not given even a small fraction of the at- tention to this subject which it deserves. Financial support has been lacking. Also men with the ability to do justice to the task have turned their attention in other directions. It is not however altogether too late. Let us trust that there will come an awakening and that the utmost will be made of the last of this oppor- tunity.
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