permit of universal
understanding, and of universal adaptation. It is the same with all
primitives, who invent regimes and modes of expression for themselves
according to their own specific psychological needs. We encourage
every other sign and indication of beauty toward the progress of
perfection. Why should not we encourage a race that is beautiful by
the proof of centuries to remain the unoffensive guest of the sun and
the moon and the stars while they may? As the infant prodigy among
races, there is much that we could inherit from these people if we
could prove ourselves more worthy and less egotistic.

The artist and the poet of perception come forward with heartiest
approval and it is the supplication of the poet and the artist which
the redman needs most of all. Science looks upon him as a phenomenon;
esthetics looks upon him as a giant of masterful expression in our
midst. The redman is poet and artist of the very first order among the
geniuses of time. We have nothing more native at our disposal than the
beautiful creations of this people. It is singular enough that the as
yet remote black man contributes the only native representation of
rhythm and melody we possess. As an intelligent race, we are not even
sure we want to welcome him as completely as we might, if his color
were just a shade warmer, a shade nearer our own. We have no qualms
about yellow and white and the oriental intermediate hues. We may
therefore accept the redman without any of the prejudices peculiar to
other types of skin, and we may accept his contribution to our culture
as a most significant and important one. We haven't even begun to make
use of the beautiful hints in music alone which he has given to us. We
need, and abjectly so I may say, an esthetic concept of our own. Other
nations of the world have long since accepted Congo originality. The
world has yet to learn of the originality of the redman, and we who
have him as our guest, knowing little or nothing of his powers and the
beauty he confers on us by his remarkable esthetic propensities,
should be the first to welcome and to foster him. It is not enough to
admit of archaeological curiosity. We need to admit, and speedily, the
rare and excellent esthetics in our midst, a part of our own intimate
scene. The redman is a spiritual expresser of very vital issues. If
his pottery and his blankets offer the majority but little, his
ceremonials do contribute to the comparative few who c