OCR Text |
Show 2 CIRCULAR OF QUERIES. importance attached to burial ceremonies have formed an almost invariable part of all works relating to the different peoples of our globe; in fact no particular portion of ethnologic research has claimed more attention. In view of these facts, it might seem almost a work of supererogation to continue a further examination of the subject, for nearly every author in writing of our Indian tribes makes some mention of burial observances; but these notices are scattered far and wide on the sea of this special literature, and many of the accounts, unless supported by corroborative evidence, may be considered as entirely unreliable. To bring together and harmonize conflicting statements, and arrange collectively what is known of the subject has been the writer's task, and an enormous mass of information has been acquired, the method of securing which has been as follows: In the first instance a circular was prepared, which is here given; this at the time was thought to embrace all items relating to the disposal of the dead and attendant ceremonies, although since its distribution other important questions have arisen which will be alluded to subsequently. " WASHINGTON, D. C, June 15, 1877. " To , a . " SIR : Being engaged in preparing a memoir upon the ' Burial Customs of the Indians of North America, both ancient and modern, and the disposal of their dead,' I beg leave to request your kind co- operation to enable me to present as exhaustive an exposition of the subject as possible, and to this end earnestly invite your attention to the following points in regard to which information is desired: " 1st Name of the tribe. " 2d. Locality. " 3d. Manner of burial, ancient and modern. " 4th. Funeral ceremonies. " 5th. Mourning observances, if any. " With reference to the first of these inquiries, ' Name of the tribe/ the Indian name is desired as well as the name by which the tribe is known to the whites. |