In preparation for work in the field Mr. Walker undertook research in the early narratives of exploration in Louisiana and Arkansas. He left Washington May 29 to investigate some caves in the vicinity of Gilbert, Ark., in the Ozark Mountains, with the hope of being able to throw new light on the Ozark bluff dwellers and other early inhabitants of the caves. Sixteen caves were explored and excavations were made in several of the most promising. A large cave at Cedar Grove yielded several skeletons and a considerable number of stone, flint, and bone artifacts. As the fiscal year closed Mr. Walker was still engaged in excavating this cavern. He intends to make a brief survey of certain mounds and village sites along the Red River Valley in the northern part of Louisiana on the completion of his work in Arkansas.
The study of Indian music for the Bureau of American Ethnology has been carried forward during the past year by Miss Frances Densmore. The three phases of this research are (1) the recording of songs and collecting of other material in the field, including the purchase of specimens; (2) the transcription and analysis of songs, with the development of information; and (3) the preparation of material for publication. All these phases have received attention during the year, and the songs of three hitherto unstudied localities have been recorded.
Early in July, 1930, Miss Densmore went to Grand Portage, an isolated Chippewa village on Lake Superior, near the Canadian boundary. This village was visited in 1905, a ceremony was witnessed, and one of its songs written down; therefore a return to Grand Portage was particularly interesting. The purpose of the trip was to witness the Chippewa dances on the Fourth of July, but she remained more than three weeks, continuing her study of native customs. Several songs of the _Wabunowin_ were heard and translated, these resembling the songs of the Grand Medicine, which formed a subject of intensive study during 1907-1911. She also witnessed the tipi-shaking of an Indian medicine man and listened to his songs for almost an hour. This performance is very rare at the present time. Although the evening was quiet, the tipi was seen to sway as though buffeted by a tempest, then remain motionless a few seconds and again shake convulsively. This was continuous while Miss Densmore watched the performance and was said to have continued several hours afterwards. Inside the tipi sat the medicine man, believed to be talking with spirits whom he had summoned, the spirits making known their presence by the shaking of the conical structure. The next day the medicine man said that he had summoned the spirits in order to ascertain whether his treatment of a certain sick man would be successful. He said that if the spirits “spoke loud and clear” the man would recover, but if their voices were faint the man would die. The response was said to have been satisfactory, and accordingly he instituted a “beneficial dance,” which was attended by Miss Densmore, and the songs heard for a considerable time. These, like the songs in the tipi, resembled the songs of the Chippewa Grand Medicine Society.