Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1895 — AN ANCIENT TRIBE. [ARTICLE]

AN ANCIENT TRIBE.

Twelve Survivors Discovered of a Curious Indian Race. A remnant of a once powerful and numerous Indian tribe has just been discovered by Franz Boaz near the head of Portland canal, in British Columbia. Dr. Boaz has devoted his life to the study of the Indian race in America. In the interest of the Berlin Museum and the British Association, he went west to British Columbia from Chicago a few months ago, having heard during the World's Fair that one of the British Columbia’s Indian tribes possessed many of the distinct characteristics—physical, religious, social and mental—of the ancient Egyptians, from which their legends would indicate that they had descended. On arrival the investigator learned that the tribe he sought, now almost extinct, had a home somewhere in the Naas River country, whither he hurried. He found that the tribe had once ranged the great extent of country from Behm’s canal In Alaska to Cape Fox, and extending down to the Naas river, but that unable, by reason of their more peaceful disposition and pursuits, to oppose the inroads of Indians from the coast and from the Rockies, the tribe had grown smaller and gradually smaller, until now but twelve souls remained of what was once a great people. They have even lost their name, the present tribal name, Tsotsout, being taken from the Naas river language, in which it is synonymous for slaves. These Indians differ in appearance, measurements, history and customs from any other Indians of America, and are apparently a distinctive family. Dr, Boaz does not, however, agree with those who have pronounced them ancient Egyptians. Their sociology possesses much in common with that of the Pharaohs and their legends also are all of the ‘‘great river.” But the expert floes not consider this sufficient to establish anything in view of physical dissimilarities. He has taken careful and voluminous notes, however, which he will study and compare on his return to London and Berlin. The language of the Tsotsouts is, he says, remarkable in its likeness to the Egyptian.