ABSTRACT
Ofallsocialscientists,anthropologistshavebeenmostinvolvedin internationalresearchandaremostaffectedbychangingconditions.Forputtingpresentproblemsinperspective,theirsisarevealingcasehistory,foritshowsthatnosignificant,organized anthropologicalefforthasdevelopedanywhereintheworldwithoutnationalgovernmentinvolvement.Tosaythisisnottoargue thatthepastjustifiesthepresent.I t doessuggestthatmanycurrentissuesandconflictsareoflongstanding,althoughtheyhave changedtheirformandacquirednewsignificance.Someconsiderationofthepast,therefore,mayilluminatethepresent. I f itbetrue,assomehavesaid,thattheemergenceofanthro-
pologyasanorganizeddisciplinecouldnotoccuruntiltheageof explorationandaccumulationofdataaboutawidevarietyof peopleandcultures,thengovernmentsandsimilarorganizations haveplayedasignificantroleintheformationofthissocialsciencediscipline.Theearlycollectorsofethnographicdataon whichthebeginningsofanthropologyrestwerenotmotivatedby
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purelyscientificinterestsorfinancedbyorganizationsdedicated tothepursuitofknowledge.ThiswasastrueofaSahagunorthe writersoftheJesuitrelationsasitwasofaCookoraKotzebue.
