The Mide'wiwin or "Grand Medicine Society" of the Ojibwa Part 2

The powwows are held in high veneration by their deluded brethren; not so much for their knowledge of medicine as for the magical power which they are supposed to possess. It is for their interest to lead these credulous people to believe that they can at pleasure hold intercourse with the munedoos, who are ever ready to give them whatever information they require.

[Footnote 11: History of the Ojebway Indians, London [1843(?)], pp. 143,144.]

The Ojibwa believe in a multiplicity of spirits, or man'idos, which inhabit all s.p.a.ce and every conspicuous object in nature. These man'idos, in turn, are subservient to superior ones, either of a charitable and benevolent character or those which are malignant and aggressive. The chief or superior man'ido is termed Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido--Great Spirit--approaching to a great extent the idea of the G.o.d of the Christian religion; the second in their estimation is Dzhe Man'ido, a benign being upon whom they look as the guardian spirit of the Mide'wiwin and through whose divine provision the sacred rites of the Mide'wiwin were granted to man. The Ani'miki or Thunder G.o.d is, if not the supreme, at least one of the greatest of the malignant man'idos, and it is from him that the Jes'sakkid' are believed to obtain their powers of evil doing. There is one other, to whom special reference will be made, who abides in and rules the "place of shadows," the hereafter; he is known as Dzhibai' Man'ido--Shadow Spirit, or more commonly Ghost Spirit. The name of Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido is never mentioned but with reverence, and thus only in connection with the rite of Mide'wiwin, or a sacred feast, and always after making an offering of tobacco.

The first important event in the life of an Ojibwa youth is his first fast. For this purpose he will leave his home for some secluded spot in the forest where he will continue to fast for an indefinite number of days; when reduced by abstinence from food he enters a hysterical or ecstatic state in which he may have visions and hallucinations. The spirits which the Ojibwa most desire to see in these dreams are those of mammals and birds, though any object, whether animate or inanimate, is considered a good omen. The object which first appears is adopted as the personal mystery, guardian spirit, or tutelary daimon of the entranced, and is never mentioned by him without first making a sacrifice. A small effigy of this man'ido is made, or its outline drawn upon a small piece of birch bark, which is carried suspended by a string around the neck, or if the wearer be a Mide' he carries it in his "medicine bag" or pinji'gosan. The future course of life of the faster is governed by his dream; and it sometimes occurs that because of giving an imaginary importance to the occurrence, such as beholding, during the trance some powerful man'ido or other object held in great reverence by the members of the Mide' Society, the faster first becomes impressed with the idea of becoming a Mide'. Thereupon he makes application to a prominent Mide'

priest, and seeks his advice as to the necessary course to be pursued to attain his desire. If the Mide' priest considers with favor the application, he consults with his confreres and action is taken, and the questions of the requisite preliminary instructions, fees, and presents, etc., are formally discussed. If the Mide' priests are in accord with the desires of the applicant an instructor or preceptor is designated, to whom he must present himself and make an agreement as to the amount of preparatory information to be acquired and the fees and other presents to be given in return. These fees have nothing whatever to do with the presents which must be presented to the Mide' priests previous to his initiation as a member of the society, the latter being collected during the time that is devoted to preliminary instruction, which period usually extends over several years. Thus ample time is found for hunting, as skins and peltries, of which those not required as presents may be exchanged for blankets, tobacco, kettles, guns, etc., obtainable from the trader. Sometimes a number of years are spent in preparation for the first degree of the Mide'wiwin, and there are many who have impoverished themselves in the payment of fees and the preparation for the feast to which all visiting priests are also invited.

Should an Indian who is not prompted by a dream wish to join the society he expresses to the four chief officiating priests a desire to purchase a mi'gis, which is the sacred symbol of the society and consists of a small white sh.e.l.l, to which reference will be made further on. His application follows the same course as in the preceding instance, and the same course is pursued also when a Jes'sakkid' or a Wabeno' wishes to become a Mide'.

MIDE'WIWIN.

The Mide'wiwin--Society of the Mide' or Shamans--consists of an indefinite number of Mide' of both s.e.xes. The society is graded into four separate and distinct degrees, although there is a general impression prevailing even among certain members that any degree beyond the first is practically a mere repet.i.tion. The greater power attained by one in making advancement depends upon the fact of his having submitted to "being shot at with the medicine sacks" in the hands of the officiating priests. This may be the case at this late day in certain localities, but from personal experience it has been learned that there is considerable variation in the dramatization of the ritual. One circ.u.mstance presents itself forcibly to the careful observer, and that is that the greater number of repet.i.tions of the phrases chanted by the Mide' the greater is felt to be the amount of inspiration and power of the performance. This is true also of some of the lectures in which reiteration and prolongation in time of delivery aids very much in forcibly impressing the candidate and other observers with the importance and sacredness of the ceremony.

It has always been customary for the Mide' priests to preserve birch-bark records, bearing delicate incised lines to represent pictorially the ground plan of the number of degrees to which the owner is ent.i.tled. Such records or charts are sacred and are never exposed to the public view, being brought forward for inspection only when an accepted candidate has paid his fee, and then only after necessary preparation by fasting and offerings of tobacco.

During the year 1887, while at Red Lake, Minnesota, I had the good fortune to discover the existence of an old birch-bark chart, which, according to the a.s.surances of the chief and a.s.sistant Mide' priests, had never before been exhibited to a white man, nor even to an Indian unless he had become a regular candidate. This chart measures 7 feet 1 inches in length and 18 inches in width, and is made of five pieces of birch bark neatly and securely st.i.tched together by means of thin, flat strands of ba.s.s wood. At each end are two thin strips of wood, secured transversely by wrapping and st.i.tching with thin strands of bark, so as to prevent splitting and fraying of the ends of the record. Pl. III A, is a reproduction of the design referred to.

It had been in the keeping of Skweko'mik, to whom it was intrusted at the death of his father-in-law, the latter, in turn, having received it in 1825 from Bada'san, the Grand Shaman and chief of the Winnibe'gos.h.i.+sh Ojibwa.

It is affirmed that Bada'san had received the original from the Grand Mide' priest at La Pointe, Wisconsin, where, it is said, the Mide'wiwin was at that time held annually and the ceremonies conducted in strict accordance with ancient and traditional usage.

The present owner of this record has for many years used it in the preliminary instruction of candidates. Its value in this respect is very great, as it presents to the Indian a pictorial resume of the traditional history of the origin of the Mide'wiwin, the positions occupied by the various guardian man'idos in the several degrees, and the order of procedure in study and progress of the candidate. On account of the isolation of the Red Lake Indians and their long continued, independent ceremonial observances, changes have gradually occurred so that there is considerable variation, both in the pictorial representation and the initiation, as compared with the records and ceremonials preserved at other reservations. The reason of this has already been given.

A detailed description of the above mentioned record, will be presented further on in connection with two interesting variants which were subsequently obtained at White Earth, Minnesota. On account of the widely separated location of many of the different bands of the Ojibwa, and the establishment of independent Mide' societies, portions of the ritual which have been forgotten by one set may be found to survive at some other locality, though at the expense of some other fragments of tradition or ceremonial. No satisfactory account of the tradition of the origin of the Indians has been obtained, but such information as it was possible to procure will be submitted.

In all of their traditions pertaining to the early history of the tribe these people are termed A-nish'-in-a'-beg--original people--a term surviving also among the Ottawa, Patawatomi, and Menomoni, indicating that the tradition of their westward migration was extant prior to the final separation of these tribes, which is supposed to have occurred at Sault Ste. Marie.

Mi'nabo'zho (Great Rabbit), whose name occurs in connection with most of the sacred rites, was the servant of Dzhe Man'ido, the Good Spirit, and acted in the capacity of intercessor and mediator. It is generally supposed that it was to his good offices that the Indian owes life and the good things necessary to his health and subsistence.

The tradition of Mi'nabo'zho and the origin of the Mide'wiwin, as given in connection with the birch-bark record obtained at Red Lake (Pl. III A), is as follows:

When Mi'nabo'zho, the servant of Dzhe Man'ido, looked down upon the earth he beheld human beings, the Ani's.h.i.+na'beg, the ancestors of the Ojibwa. They occupied the four quarters of the earth--the northeast, the southeast, the southwest, and the northwest. He saw how helpless they were, and desiring to give them the means of warding off the diseases with which they were constantly afflicted, and to provide them with animals and plants to serve as food and with other comforts, Mi'nabo'zho remained thoughtfully hovering over the center of the earth, endeavoring to devise some means of communicating with them, when he heard something laugh, and perceived a dark object appear upon the surface of the water to the west (No. 2). He could not recognize its form, and while watching it closely it slowly disappeared from view. It next appeared in the north (No. 3), and after a short lapse of time again disappeared.

Mi'nabo'zho hoped it would again show itself upon the surface of the water, which it did in the east (No. 4). Then Mi'nabo'zho wished that it might approach him, so as to permit him to communicate with it. When it disappeared from view in the east and made its reappearance in the south (No. 1), Mi'nabo'zho asked it to come to the center of the earth that he might behold it. Again it disappeared from view, and after reappearing in the west Mi'nabo'zho observed it slowly approaching the center of the earth (i.e., the centre of the circle), when he descended and saw it was the Otter, now one of the sacred man'idos of the Mide'wiwin. Then Mi'nabo'zho instructed the Otter in the mysteries of the Mide'wiwin, and gave him at the same time the sacred rattle to be used at the side of the sick; the sacred Mide' drum to be used during the ceremonial of initiation and at sacred feasts, and tobacco, to be employed in invocations and in making peace.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate III.

Red Lake and Leech Lake Records.]

The place where Mi'nabo'zho descended was an island in the middle of a large body of water, and the Mide' who is feared by all the others is called Mini'sino'shkwe (He-who-lives-on-the-island). Then Mi'nabo'zho built a Mide'wigan (sacred Mide' lodge), and taking his drum he beat upon it and sang a Mide' song, telling the Otter that Dzhe Man'ido had decided to help the Anis.h.i.+na'bog, that they might always have life and an abundance of food and other things necessary for their comfort.

Mi'nabo'zho then took the Otter into the Mide'wigan and conferred upon him the secrets of the Mide'wiwin, and with his Mide' bag shot the sacred mi'gis into his body that he might have immortality and be able to confer these secrets to his kinsmen, the Anis.h.i.+na'beg.

The mi'gis is considered the sacred symbol of the Mide'wigan, and may consist of any small white sh.e.l.l, though the one believed to be similar to the one mentioned in the above tradition resembles the cowrie, and the ceremonies of initiation as carried out in the Mide'wiwin at this day are believed to be similar to those enacted by Mi'nabo'zho and the Otter. It is admitted by all the Mide' priests whom I have consulted that much of the information has been lost through the death of their aged predecessors, and they feel convinced that ultimately all of the sacred character of the work will be forgotten or lost through the adoption of new religions by the young people and the death of the Mide'

priests, who, by the way, decline to accept Christian teachings, and are in consequence termed "pagans."

My instructor and interpreter of the Red Lake chart added other information in explanation of the various characters represented thereon, which I present herewith. The large circle at the right side of the chart denotes the earth as beheld by Mi'nabo'zho, while the Otter appeared at the square projections at Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4; the semicircular appendages between these are the four quarters of the earth, which are inhabited by the Ani's.h.i.+na'beg, Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8.

Nos. 9 and 10 represent two of the numerous malignant man'idos, who endeavor to prevent entrance into the sacred structure and mysteries of the Mide'wiwin. The oblong squares, Nos. 11 and 12, represent the outline of the first degree of the society, the inner corresponding lines being the course traversed during initiation. The entrance to the lodge is directed toward the east, the western exit indicating the course toward the next higher degree. The four human forms at Nos. 13, 14, 15, and 16 are the four officiating Mide' priests whose services are always demanded at an initiation. Each is represented as having a rattle. Nos. 17, 18, and 19 indicate the cedar trees, one of each of this species being planted near the outer angles of a Mide' lodge. No.

20 represents the ground. The outline of the bear at No. 21 represents the Makwa' Man'ido, or Bear Spirit, one of the sacred Mide' man'idos, to which the candidate must pray and make offerings of tobacco, that he may compel the malevolent spirits to draw away from the entrance to the Mide'wigan, which is shown in No. 28. Nos 23 and 24 represent the sacred drum which the candidate must use when chanting the prayers, and two offerings must be made, as indicated by the number two.

After the candidate has been admitted to one degree, and is prepared to advance to the second, he offers three feasts, and chants three prayers to the Makwa' Man'ido, or Bear Spirit (No. 22), that the entrance (No.

29) to that degree may be opened to him. The feasts and chants are indicated by the three drums shown at Nos. 25, 26, and 27.

Nos. 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34 are five Serpent Spirits, evil man'idos who oppose a Mide''s progress, though after the feasting and prayers directed to the Makwa' Man'ido have by him been deemed sufficient the four smaller Serpent Spirits move to either side of the path between the two degrees, while the larger serpent (No. 32) raises its body in the middle so as to form an arch, beneath which pa.s.ses the candidate on his way to the second degree.

Nos. 35, 36, 46, and 47 are four malignant Bear Spirits, who guard the entrance and exit to the second degree, the doors of which are at Nos.

37 and 49. The form of this lodge (No. 38) is like the preceding; but while the seven Mide' priests at Nos. 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 simply indicate that the number of Mide' a.s.sisting at this second initiation are of a higher and more sacred cla.s.s of personages than in the first degree, the number designated having reference to quality and intensity rather than to the actual number of a.s.sistants, as specifically shown at the top of the first degree structure.

When the Mide' is of the second degree, he receives from Dzhe Man'ido supernatural powers as shown in No. 48. The lines extending upward from the eyes signify that he can look into futurity; from the ears, that he can hear what is transpiring at a great distance; from the hands, that he can touch for good or for evil friends and enemies at a distance, however remote; while the lines extending from the feet denote his ability to traverse all s.p.a.ce in the accomplishment of his desires or duties. The small disk upon the breast of the figure denotes that a Mide' of this degree has several times had the mi'gis--life--"shot into his body," the increased size of the spot signifying amount or quant.i.ty of influence obtained thereby.

No. 50 represents a Mi'tsha Mide' or Bad Mide', one who employs his powers for evil purposes. He has the power of a.s.suming the form of any animal, in which guise he may destroy the life of his victim, immediately after which he resumes his human form and appears innocent of any crime. His services are sought by people who wish to encompa.s.s the destruction of enemies or rivals, at however remote a locality the intended victim may be at the time. An ill.u.s.tration representing the modus operandi of his performance is reproduced and explained in Fig.

24, page 238.

Persons possessed of this power are sometimes termed witches, special reference to whom is made elsewhere. The ill.u.s.tration, No. 50, represents such an individual in his disguise of a bear, the characters at Nos. 51 and 52 denoting footprints of a bear made by him, impressions of which are sometimes found in the vicinity of lodges occupied by his intended victims. The trees shown upon either side of No. 50 signify a forest, the location usually sought by bad Mide' and witches.

If a second degree Mide' succeeds in his desire to become a member of the third degree, he proceeds in a manner similar to that before described; he gives feasts to the instructing and four officiating Mide', and offers prayers to Dzhe Man'ido for favor and success. No. 53 denotes that the candidate now personates the bear--not one of the malignant man'idos, but one of the sacred man'idos who are believed to be present during the ceremonials of initiation of the second degree. He is seated before his sacred drum, and when the proper time arrives the Serpent Man'ido (No. 54)--who has until this opposed his advancement--now arches its body, and beneath it he crawls and advances toward the door (No. 55) of the third degree (No. 56) of the Mide'wiwin, where he encounters two (Nos. 57 and 58) of the four Panther Spirits, the guardians of this degree.

Nos. 61 to 76 indicate mide' spirits who inhabit the structure of this degree, and the number of human forms in excess of those shown in connection with the second degree indicates a correspondingly higher and more sacred character. When an Indian has pa.s.sed this, initiation he becomes very skillful in his profession of a Mide'. The powers which he possessed in the second degree may become augmented. He is represented in No. 77 with arms extended, and with lines crossing his body and arms denoting darkness and obscurity, which signifies his ability to grasp from the invisible world the knowledge and means to accomplish extraordinary deeds. He feels more confident of prompt response and a.s.sistance from the sacred man'idos and his knowledge of them becomes more widely extended.

Nos. 59 and 60 are two of the four Panther Spirits who are the special guardians of the third degree lodge.

To enter the fourth and highest degree of the society requires a greater number of feasts than before, and the candidate, who continues to personate the Bear Spirit, again uses his sacred drum, as he is shown sitting before it in No. 78, and chants more prayers to Dzhe Man'ido for his favor. This degree is guarded by the greatest number and the most powerful of malevolent spirits, who make a last effort to prevent a candidate's entrance at the door (No. 79) of the fourth degree structure (No. 80). The chief opponents to be overcome, through the a.s.sistance of Dzhe Man'ido, are two Panther Spirits (Nos. 81 and 82) at the eastern entrance, and two Bear Spirits (Nos. 83 and 84) at the western exit.

Other bad spirits are about the structure, who frequently gain possession and are then enabled to make strong and prolonged resistance to the candidate's entrance. The chiefs of this group of malevolent beings are Bears (Nos. 88 and 96), the Panther (No. 91), the Lynx (No.

97), and many others whose names they have forgotten, their positions being indicated at Nos. 85, 86, 87, 89, 90, 92, 93, 94, and 95, all but the last resembling characters ordinarily employed to designate serpents.

The power with which it is possible to become endowed after pa.s.sing through the fourth degree is expressed by the outline of a human figure (No. 98), upon which are a number of spots indicating that the body is covered with the mi'gis or sacred sh.e.l.ls, symbolical of the Mide'wiwin.

These spots designate the places where the Mide' priests, during the initiation, shot into his body the mi'gis and the lines connecting them in order that all the functions of the several corresponding parts or organs of the body may be exercised.

The ideal fourth degree Mide' is presumed to be in a position to accomplish the greatest feats in necromancy and magic. He is not only endowed with the power of reading the thoughts and intentions of others, as is pictorially indicated by the mi'gis spot upon the top of the head, but to call forth the shadow (soul) and retain it within his grasp at pleasure. At this stage of his pretensions, he is encroaching upon the prerogatives of the Jes'sakkid', and is then recognized as one, as he usually performs within the Jes'sakkan or Jes'sakkid' lodge, commonly designated "the Jugglery."

The ten small circular objects upon the upper part of the record may have been some personal marks of the original owner; their import was not known to my informants and they do not refer to any portion of the history or ceremonies or the Mide'wiwin.

Extending toward the left from the end of the fourth degree inclosure is an angular pathway (No. 99), which represents the course to be followed by the Mide' after he has attained this high distinction. On account of his position his path is often beset with dangers, as indicated by the right angles, and temptations which may lead him astray; the points at which he may possibly deviate from the true course of propriety are designated by projections branching off obliquely toward the right and left (No. 100). The ovoid figure (No. 101) at the end of this path is termed Wai-ek'-ma-yok'--End of the road--and is alluded to in the ritual, as will be observed hereafter, as the end of the world, i.e., the end of the individual's existence. The number of vertical strokes (No. 102) within the ovoid figure signify the original owner to have been a fourth degree Mide' for a period of 14 years.

The outline of the Mide'wigan (No. 103) not only denotes that the same individual was a member of the Mide'wiwin, but the thirteen vertical strokes shown in Nos. 104 and 105 indicate that he was chief Mide'

priest of the society for that number of years.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate IV.

Sikas'sige's Record.]

The outline of a Mide'wigan as shown at No. 106, with the place upon the interior designating the location of the sacred post (No. 107) and the stone (No. 108) against which the sick are placed during the time of treatment, signifies the owner to have practiced his calling of the exorcism of demons. But that he also visited the sick beyond the acknowledged jurisdiction of the society in which he resided, is indicated by the path (No. 109) leading around the sacred inclosure.

Upon that portion of the chart immediately above the fourth degree lodge is shown the outline of a Mide'wiwin (No. 110), with a path (No. 114), leading toward the west to a circle (No. 111), within which is another similar structure (No. 112) whose longest diameter is at right angles to the path, signifying that it is built so that its entrance is at the north. This is the Dzhibai' Mide'wigan or Ghost Lodge.

Around the interior of the circle are small V-shaped characters denoting the places occupied by the spirits of the departed, who are presided over by the Dzhibai' Mide', literally Shadow Mide'.

No. 113 represents the Ko'-ko-ko-o' (Owl) pa.s.sing from the Mide'wigan to the Land of the Setting Sun, the place of the dead, upon the road of the dead, indicated by the pathway at No. 114. This man'ido is personated by a candidate for the first degree of the Mide'wiwin when giving a feast to the dead in honor of the shadow of him who had been dedicated to the Mide'wiwin and whose place is now to be taken by the giver of the feast.

Upon the back of the Mide' record, above described, is the personal record of the original owner, as shown in Pl. III B. Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 represent the four degrees of the society into which he has been initiated, or, to use the phraseology of an Ojibwa, "through which he has gone." This "pa.s.sing through" is further ill.u.s.trated by the bear tracks, he having personated the Makwa' Man'ido or Bear Spirit, considered to be the highest and most powerful of the guardian spirits of the fourth degree wigwam.