Seventh Annual Report Part 45

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 Manido 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 candidates 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 Manido, 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 candidates 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 migis or sacred sh.e.l.ls, symbolical of the Midewiwin.

These spots designate the places where the Mide priests, during the initiation, shot into his body the migis 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 migis 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 Jessakkid, and is then recognized as one, as he usually performs within the Jessakkn or Jessakkid 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 Midewiwin.

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 individuals 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 Midewign (No. 103) not only denotes that the same individual was a member of the Midewiwin, 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.

Sika.s.siges Record.]

The outline of a Midewign 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 Midewiwin (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 Midewign 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-k-ko-o (Owl) pa.s.sing from the Midewign 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 manido is personated by a candidate for the first degree of the Midewiwin when giving a feast to the dead in honor of the shadow of him who had been dedicated to the Midewiwin 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 Manido or Bear Spirit, considered to be the highest and most powerful of the guardian spirits of the fourth degree wigwam.

The ill.u.s.tration presented in Pl. III C represents the outlines of a birch-bark record (reduced to one-third) found among the effects of a lately deceased Mide from Leech Lake, Minnesota. This record, together with a number of other curious articles, composed the outfit of the Mide, but the Rev. James A. Gilfillan of White Earth, through whose courtesy I was permitted to examine the objects, could give me no information concerning their use. Since that time, however, I have had an opportunity of consulting with one of the chief priests of the Leech Lake Society, through whom I have obtained some interesting data concerning them.

The chart represents the owner to have been a Mide of the second degree, as indicated by the two outlines of the respective structures at Nos. 1 and 2, the place of the sacred posts being marked at Nos. 3 and 4. Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are Mide priests holding their Mide bags as in the ceremony of initiation. The disks represented at Nos. 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 denote the sacred drum, which may be used by him during his initiation, while Nos. 14, 15, 16, and 17 denote that he was one of the four officiating priests of the Midewign at his place of residence.

Each of these figures is represented as holding their sacred bags as during the ceremonies. No. 18 denotes the path he has been pursuing since he became a Mide, while at Nos. 19 and 20 diverging lines signify that his course is beset with temptations and enemies, as referred to in the description of the Red Lake chart, Pl. III A.

The remaining objects found among the effects of the Mide referred to will be described and figured hereafter.

The diagram represented on Pl. IV is a reduced copy of a record made by Sika.s.sige, a Mille Lacs Ojibwa Mide of the second degree, now resident at White Earth.

The chart ill.u.s.trating pictorially the general plan of the several degrees is a copy of a record in the possession of the chief Mide at Mille Lacs in 1830, at which time Sika.s.sige, at the age of 10 years, received his first degree. For a number of years thereafter Sika.s.sige received continued instruction from his father Baiedzhek, and although he never publicly received advancement beyond the second degree of the society, his wife became a fourth degree priestess, at whose initiation he was permitted to be present.

Since his residence at White Earth Sika.s.sige has become one of the officiating priests of the society at that place. One version given by him of the origin of the Indians is presented in the following tradition, a pictorial representation having also been prepared of which Pl. V is a reduced copy:

In the beginning, Dzhe Manido (No. 1), made the Mide Manidos. He first created two men (Nos. 2 and 3), and two women (Nos. 4 and 5); but they had no power of thought or reason. Then Dzhe Manido (No. 1) made them rational beings. He took them in his hands so that they should multiply; he paired them, and from this sprung the Indians.

When there were people he placed them upon the earth, but he soon observed that they were subject to sickness, misery, and death, and that unless he provided them with the Sacred Medicine they would soon become extinct.

Between the position occupied by Dzhe Manido and the earth were four lesser spirits (Nos. 6, 7, 8, and 9) with whom Dzhe Manido decided to commune, and to impart to them the mysteries by which the Indians could be benefited. So he first spoke to a spirit at No. 6, and told him all he had to say, who in turn communicated the same information to No. 7, and he in turn to No. 8, who also communed with No. 9. They all met in council, and determined to call in the four wind G.o.ds at Nos. 10, 11, 12, and 13. After consulting as to what would be best for the comfort and welfare of the Indians, these spirits agreed to ask Dzhe Manido to communicate the Mystery of the Sacred Medicine to the people.

Dzhe Manido then went to the Sun Spirit (No. 14) and asked him to go to the earth and instruct the people as had been decided upon by the council. The Sun Spirit, in the form of a little boy, went to the earth and lived with a woman (No. 15) who had a little boy of her own.

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

Origin of nis.h.i.+nbeg.]

This family went away in the autum to hunt, and during the winter this womans son died. The parents were so much distressed that they decided to return to the village and bury the body there; so they made preparations to return, and as they traveled along, they would each evening erect several poles upon which the body was placed to prevent the wild beasts from devouring it. When the dead boy was thus hanging upon the poles, the adopted child--who was the Sun Spirit--would play about the camp and amuse himself, and finally told his adopted father he pitied him, and his mother, for their sorrow. The adopted son said he could bring his dead brother to life, whereupon the parents expressed great surprise and desired to know how that could be accomplished.

The adopted boy then had the party hasten to the village, when he said, Get the women to make a wigiwam of bark (No. 16), put the dead boy in a covering of birch bark and place the body on the ground in the middle of the wigiwam. On the next morning after this had been done, the family and friends went into this lodge and seated themselves around the corpse.

When they had all been sitting quietly for some time, they saw through the doorway the approach of a bear (No. 17) which gradually came towards the wigiwam, entered it, and placed itself before the dead body and said hu, hu, hu, hu, when he pa.s.sed around it towards the left side, with a trembling motion, and as he did so, the body began quivering, and the quivering increased as the bear continued until he had pa.s.sed around four times, when the body came to life again and stood up. Then the bear called to the father, who was sitting in the distant right-hand corner of the wigiwam, and addressed to him the following words:

Nos ka-wi-na ni-s.h.i.+-na-bi wis-si a-ya-wi-an man-i-do My father is not an Indian not you are a spirit

nin-gi-sis. Be-mai-a-mi-nik ni-dzhi man-i-do mi-a-zhi-gwa son. Insomuch my fellow spirit now

tsh-gi-a-we-n. Nos a-zhi-gwa a-se-ma ts.h.i.+-a-to-yek.

as you are. My father now tobacco you shall put.

A-mi-kun-dem mi-e-ta -bi-d.i.n.k dzhi-gosh-kwi-tot He speaks of only once to be able to do it

wen-dzhi-bi-m-di-zid-o-ma a-g-wa bi-m-di-zid-mi-o-ma; why he shall live here now that he scarcely lives;

ni-dzhi man-i-do m-a-zhi-gwa tsh-gi-we-n.

my fellow spirit now I shall go home.

The little bear boy (No. 17) was the one who did this. He then remained among the Indians (No. 18) and taught them the mysteries of the Grand Medicine (No. 19); and, after he had finished, he told his adopted father that as his mission had been fulfilled he was to return to his kindred spirits, for the Indians would have no need to fear sickness as they now possessed the Grand Medicine which would enable them to live. He also said that his spirit could bring a body to life but once, and he would now return to the sun from which they would feel his influence.

This is called Kw-wi-sens we-di-s.h.i.+-ts.h.i.+ ge-wi-nip-- Little-boy-his-work.

From subsequent information it was learned that the line No. 22 denotes the earth, and that, being considered as one step in the course of initiation into the Midewiwin, three others must be taken before a candidate can be admitted. These steps, or rests, as they are denominated (Nos. 23, 24, and 25), are typified by four distinct gifts of goods, which must be remitted to the Mide priests before the ceremony can take place.

Nos. 18 and 19 are repet.i.tions of the figures alluded to in the tradition (Nos. 16 and 17) to signify that the candidate must personate the Makwa Manido--Bear Spirit--when entering the Midewiwin (No. 19).

No. 20 is the Mide Manido as Kits.h.i.+ Manido is termed by the Mide priests. The presence of horns attached to the head is a common symbol of superior power found in connection with the figures of human and divine forms in many Mide songs and other mnemonic records. No. 21 represents the earths surface, similar to that designated at No. 22.

Upon comparing the preceding tradition of the creation of the Indians with the following, which pertains to the descent to earth of Minabozho, there appears to be some discrepancy, which could not be explained by Sika.s.sige, because he had forgotten the exact sequence of events; but from information derived from other Mide it is evident that there have been joined together two myths, the intervening circ.u.mstances being part of the tradition given below in connection with the narrative relating to the chart on Pl. III A.

This chart, which was in possession of the Mille Lacs chief Baiedzhek, was copied by him from that belonging to his preceptor at La Pointe about the year 1800, and although the traditions given by Sika.s.sige is similar to the one surviving at Red Lake, the diagram is an interesting variant for the reason that there is a greater amount of detail in the delineation of objects mentioned in the tradition.

By referring to Pl. IV it will be noted that the circle, No. 1, resembles the corresponding circle at the beginning of the record on Pl.

III, A, with this difference, that the four quarters of the globe inhabited by the Anis.h.i.+nbeg are not designated between the cardinal points at which the Otter appeared, and also that the central island, only alluded to there (Pl. III A), is here inserted.

The correct manner of arranging the two pictorial records, Pls. III A and IV, is by placing the outline of the earths surface (Pl. V, No. 21) upon the island indicated in Pl. IV, No. 6, so that the former stands vertically and at right angles to the latter; for the reason that the first half of the tradition pertains to the consultation held between Kits.h.i.+ Manido and the four lesser spirits which is believed to have occurred above the earths surface. According to Sika.s.sige the two charts should be joined as suggested in the accompanying ill.u.s.tration, Fig. 2.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 2.--Sika.s.siges combined charts, showing descent of Minabozho.]

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

Ojibwa Facial Decoration.]

Sika.s.siges explanation of the Mille Lacs chart (Pl. IV) is substantially as follows:

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 3.--Origin of Ginseng.]

When Minabozho descended to the earth to give to the Anis.h.i.+nbeg the Midewiwin, he left with them this chart, Midewigwas. Kits.h.i.+ Manido saw that his people on earth were without the means of protecting themselves against disease and death, so he sent Minabozho to give to them the sacred gift. Minabozho appeared over the waters and while reflecting in what manner he should be able to communicate with the people, he heard something laugh, just as an otter sometimes cries out. He saw something black appear upon the waters in the west (No. 2) which immediately disappeared beneath the surface again. Then it came up at the northern horizon (No. 3), which pleased Minabozho, as he thought he now had some one through whom he might convey the information with which he had been charged by Kits.h.i.+ Manido. When the black object disappeared beneath the waters at the north to reappear in the east (No. 4), Minabozho desired it would come to him in the middle of the waters, but it disappeared to make its reappearance in the south (No. 5), where it again sank out of sight to reappear in the west (No. 2), when Minabozho asked it to approach the center where there was an island (No. 6), which it did.

This did Nigik, the Otter, and for this reason he is given charge of the first degree of the Midewiwin (Nos. 35 and 36) where his spirit always abides during initiation and when healing the sick.