The primitive manners and customs of the North American Indians are
rapidly passing away under influences of civilization and other
disturbing elements. In view of this fact, it becomes the duty of all
interested in preserving a record of these customs to labor
assiduously, while there is still time, to collect such data as may be
obtainable. This seems the more important now, as within the last ten
years an almost universal interest has been awakened in ethnologic
research, and the desire for more knowledge in this regard is
constantly increasing. A wise and liberal government, recognizing the
need, has ably seconded the efforts of those engaged in such studies
by liberal grants from the public funds; nor is encouragement wanted
from the hundreds of scientific societies throughout the civilized
globe. The public press, too--the mouth-piece of the people--is ever
on the alert to scatter broadcast such items of ethnologic information
as its corps of well-trained reporters can secure. To induce further
laudable inquiry, and assist all those who may be willing to engage in
the good work, is the object of this preliminary work on the mortuary
customs of North American Indians, and it is hoped that many more
laborers may through it be added to the extensive and honorable list
of those who have already contributed.
It would appear that the subject chosen should awaken great interest,
since the peculiar methods followed by different nations and the great
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--
"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.
"As to 'Locality,' the response should give the range of the tribe,
and be full and geographically accurate.
"As to the 'Manner of burial,' &c, it is important to have every
particular bearing on this branch of the subject, and much minuteness
is desirable.
"For instance:
"(_a_) Was the body buried in the ground; if so, in what
position, and how was the grave prepared and finished?
"(_b_) If cremated, describe the process, and what disposal was
made of the ashes.
"(_c_) Were any utensils, implements, ornaments, &c., or food
placed in the grave? In short, every _fact_ is sought that may
possibly add to a general knowledge of the subject.
"Answers to the fourth and fifth queries should give as full and
succinct a description as possible of funereal and other mortuary
ceremonies at the time of death and subsequently, the period of
mourning, manner of its observance, &c.
"In obtaining materials for the purpose in question it is particularly
desirable that well-authenticated sources of information only be drawn
upon, and, therefore, any points gathered from current rumor or mere
hearsay, and upon which there is doubt, should be submitted to
searching scrutiny before being embraced in answers to the several
interrogatories, and nothing should be recorded as a _fact_ until
fully established as such.
"In seeking information from Indians, it is well to remember the great
tendency to exaggeration they show, and since absolute facts will
alone serve our purpose, great caution is suggested in this
particular.
"It is earnestly desired to make the work in question as complete as
possible, and therefore it is especially hoped that your response will
cover the ground as pointed out by the several questions as thoroughly
as you may be able and willing to make it.
"In addition to notes, a reference to published papers either by
yourself or others is desirable, as well as the names of those persons
who may be able to furnish the needed information.
"Permit me to assure you that, while it is not offered in the way of
inducement to secure the service asked, since it is barely possible
that you can be otherwise than deeply interested in the extension of
the bounds of knowledge, full credit will be given you in the work for
whatever information you may be pleased to furnish.
"This material will be published under the auspices of Prof. J.W.
Powell, in charge of the U. S Geographical and Geological Survey of
the Rocky Mountain Region.
"Communications may be addressed to me either at the address given
above or at the Army Medical Museum, Washington, D. C.
"Respectfully, yours,
"H. C. YARROW."
This was forwarded to every Indian agent, physicians at agencies, to a
great number of Army officers who had served or were serving at
frontier posts, and to individuals known to be interested in
ethnologic matters. A large number of interesting and valuable
responses were received, many of them showing how customs have changed
either under influences of civilization or altered circumstances of
environment.
Following this, a comprehensive list of books relating to North
American Indians was procured, and each volume subjected to careful
scrutiny, extracts being made from those that appeared in the writer's
judgment reliable. Out of a large number examined up to the present
time, several hundred have been laid under contribution, and the labor
of further collation still continues.
It is proper to add that all the material obtained will eventually be
embodied in a quarto volume, forming one of the series of
contributions to North American Ethnology prepared under the direction
of Maj. J. W. Powell, Director of the Bureau of Ethnology, Smithsonian
Institution, from whom, since the inception of the work, most constant
encouragement and advice has been received, and to whom all American
ethnologists owe a debt of gratitude which can never be repaid.
Having thus called attention to the work and the methods pursued in
collecting data, the classification of the subject may be given and
examples furnished of the burial ceremonies among different tribes,
calling especial attention to similar or almost analogous customs
among the peoples of the Old World.
For our present purpose the following provisional arrangement of
burials may be adopted:
1st. By INHUMATION in pits, graves, holes in the ground, mounds;
cists, and caves.
2d. By CREMATION, generally on the surface of the earth, occasionally
beneath, the resulting bones or ashes being placed in pits, in the
ground, in boxes placed on scaffolds or trees, in urns, sometimes
scattered.
3d. By EMBALMENT or a process of mummifying, the remains being
afterwards placed in the earth, caves, mounds, or charnel-houses.
4th. By AERIAL SEPULTURE, the bodies being deposited on scaffolds or
trees, in boxes or canoes, the two latter receptacles supported on
scaffolds or posts, or on the ground. Occasionally baskets have been
used to contain the remains of children, these being hung to trees.
5th. By AQUATIC BURIAL, beneath the water, or in canoes, which were
turned adrift.
These heads might, perhaps, be further subdivided, but the above seem
sufficient for all practical needs.
The use of the term _burial_ throughout this paper is to be
understood in its literal significance, the word being derived from
the Anglo-Saxon "_birgan,_" to conceal or hide away.
In giving descriptions of different burials and attendant ceremonies,
it has been deemed expedient to introduce entire accounts as
furnished, in order to preserve continuity of narrative.