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The Midē´wiwin—Society
of the Midē´ or
Shamans—consists of an indefinite number of Midē´
of both sexes. 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 repetition. 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 circumstance presents itself forcibly to the
careful observer, and that is that the greater number of
repetitions of the phrases chanted by the Midē´ 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 Midē´ 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 entitled. 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.
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Plate III. Red Lake And Leech Lake Records (key).
Complete Plate
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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 assurances of the
chief and assistant Midē´ 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
1½ inches in length and 18 inches in width, and is made of
five pieces of birch bark neatly and securely stitched
together by means of thin, flat strands of bass wood. At
each end are two thin strips of wood, secured transversely
by wrapping and stitching 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 Badâ´san, the Grand
Shaman and chief of the Winnibe´goshish Ojibwa.
It is affirmed that Badâ´san had received the original from
the Grand Midē´ priest at La Pointe, Wisconsin, where, it is
said, the Midē´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 résumé of the traditional history of the origin of
the Midē´wiwin, the positions occupied by the various
guardian Man´idōs 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 Midē´ 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-â´-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´nabō´zho (Great Rabbit), whose name occurs in connection
with most of the sacred rites, was the servant of Dzhe
Man´idō, 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´nabō´zho and the origin of the
Midē´wiwin, as given in connection with the birch-bark
record obtained at Red Lake (Pl. III A), is as follows:
When Mi´nabō´zho, the servant of Dzhe Man´idō, looked down
upon the earth he beheld human beings, the Ani´shinâ´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´nabō´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´nabō´zho hoped it would
again show itself upon the surface of the water, which it
did in the east (No. 4). Then Mi´nabō´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´nabō´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´nabō´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´idōs of the Midē´wiwin. Then Mi´nabō´zho instructed the
Otter in the mysteries of the Midē´wiwin, and gave him at
the same time the sacred rattle to be used at the side of
the sick; the sacred Midē´ drum to be used during the
ceremonial of initiation and at sacred feasts, and tobacco,
to be employed in invocations and in making peace.
The place where Mi´nabō´zho descended was an island in the
middle of a large body of water, and the Midē´ who is feared
by all the others is called Mini´sino´shkwe
(He-who-lives-on-the-island). Then Mi´nabō´zho built a
Midē´wigân (sacred Midē´ lodge), and taking his drum he beat
upon it and sang a Midē´ song, telling the Otter that Dzhe
Man´idō had decided to help the Aníshinâ´bog, that they
might always have life and an abundance of food and other
things necessary for their comfort. Mi´nabō´zho then took
the Otter into the Midē´wigân and conferred upon him the
secrets of the Midē´wiwin, and with his Midē´ bag shot the
sacred mī´gis into his body that he might have immortality
and be able to confer these secrets to his kinsmen, the
Aníshinâ´beg.
The mī´gis is considered the sacred symbol of the Midē´wigân,
and may consist of any small white shell, 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 Midē´wiwin at this day are
believed to be similar to those enacted by Mi´nabō´zho and
the Otter. It is admitted by all the Midē´ 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 Midē´
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´nabō´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´shinâ´beg, Nos. 5, 6, 7, and
8. Nos. 9 and 10 represent two of the numerous malignant
Man´idōs, who endeavor to prevent entrance into the sacred
structure and mysteries of the Midē´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 Midē´ 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 Midē´
lodge. No. 20 represents the ground. The outline of the bear
at No. 21 represents the Makwa´ Man´idō, or Bear Spirit, one
of the sacred Midē´ Man´idōs, 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
Midē´wigân, 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´idō, 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´idōs who oppose a Midē´’s progress, though after the
feasting and prayers directed to the Makwa´ Man´idō 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 passes 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 Midē´ priests
at Nos. 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 simply indicate that
the number of Midē´ assisting at this second initiation are
of a higher and more sacred class of personages than in the
first degree, the number designated having reference to
quality and intensity rather than to the actual number of
assistants, as specifically shown at the top of the first
degree structure.
When the Midē´ is of the second degree, he receives from
Dzhe Man´idō 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 space in the
accomplishment of his desires or duties. The small disk upon
the breast of the figure denotes that a Midē´ of this degree
has several times had the mī´gis—life—“shot into his body,”
the increased size of the spot signifying amount or quantity
of influence obtained thereby.
No. 50 represents a Mi´tsha Midē´ or Bad Midē´, one who
employs his powers for evil purposes. He has the power of
assuming 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 encompass the
destruction of enemies or rivals, at however remote a
locality the intended victim may be at the time. An
illustration 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
illustration, 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
Midē´ and witches.
If a second degree Midē´ 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 Midē´, and offers prayers to Dzhe
Man´idō for favor and success. No. 53 denotes that the
candidate now personates the bear—not one of the malignant
Man´idōs, but one of the sacred Man´idōs 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´idō (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 Midē´wiwin, where he
encounters two (Nos. 57 and 58) of the four Panther Spirits,
the guardians of this degree.
Nos. 61 to 76 indicate Midē´ 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 passed this, initiation he
becomes very skillful in his profession of a Midē´. 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 assistance from the sacred Man´idōs and his
knowledge of them becomes more widely extended.
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This site includes some historical
materials that may imply negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language
of a particular period or place. These items are presented as part of the
historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in
any way endorse the stereotypes implied. The Midē Wiwin or Grand Medicine Society, 1891
The Midē Wiwin or Grand Medicine Society
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