File:The American Museum journal (c1900-(1918)) (17972551408).jpg

Title: The American Museum journal
Identifier: americanmuseumjo15amer (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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In the country of the Apache Indian MOTION PICTURE RECORDS OF INDIANS FILMS THAT SHOW THE COMMON INDUSTRIES OF THE APACHE By Pliny E. Goddard THE ethnologist is not primarily concerned with the actual ob- jects displayed in a museum. The true subject matter of ethnology is made up of the habitual movements and activities of a people. An Indian on horseback does not differ in general appearance from a white man in that position, but the fact that an Indian mounts from one side and a white man from the other constitutes an important fact in ethnology. It is one of the small habits which in their combined effect make the difference between a white man and an Indian. Such habits are the most important means of mak- ing comparative and historical studies in ethnology, for they are generally learned from one's neighbors or ances- tors. Through them, therefore, one may trace the distribution of habits and cus- toms geographically or historically. In the past, such habits have been studied by observing the daily life of a people and reducing such observations to writing, using drawings and photo- graphs as illustrations. It is tolerably difficult to observe and record every significant movement involved in the work of a single individual engaged in such a simple task as making a flint arrowhead. When several individuals are engaged in the same undertaking, it becomes impossible for a single observer to follow the mo\ements of each worker. The moving-picture camera furnishes an excellent method of making a perma- nent record of the movements of one or, if properly localized, of several people. This record can be scrutinized in detail for as long a time as is desired and can be viewed repeatedly. It records many things which otherwise would not be made objective, such as the character- istic nervous coordinations and move- ments of different people. To make such records of value, great pains mvist be taken not to arouse self-conscious- ness in the subjects being photographed. Such unavoidable self-consciousness as 185

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